Forget Me Not
by Avatar Obsession
Summary: Teo's life is in pieces; he's dragging on, and can't find anything worth his time anymore. He leaves home in order to forget about it all. But the two teens reunite in the most surprising of ways, and Teo realizes that it's impossible to forget the past
1. Chapter 1

She sat in her room, like a porcelain doll in a glass display case. Recently her father had moved the family to a new estate, one made entirely of wood. He told her it was to keep her safe; that's all her parents ever wanted for her. She was still "just a little girl", and that's all that mattered to them. She'd been blind since birth, therefore her parents had to go to more precautions than with an average child to keep her out of harms way. For as long as she could remember, she'd been their precious darling, their obedient little angel. They were a perfect family, and if anything were to tear them apart , her parents would be devastated.

As she felt her way over to the dresser, the soft padding of the carpet felt strangely foreign against her bare feet; she was used to the smooth hardwood floors of their old home. It was all she'd ever known.

Poppy Bei Fong's shrill voice echoed down the corridor from the dining area.

"Sakado, dinner's ready."

She moved from the dresser and groped the wall, preparing to find her way towards the living quarters.

"I'm coming, mother."

The moment she emerged from her bedroom doorway, she could just barely detect the large, burly figures standing behind her. It was no surprise to feel their eyes on her; constantly watching, observing, mentally documenting her every action. They'd done it all her life, and although she secretly found it a bit awkward, there was no other way. Her father had told her that if they weren't careful, somebody could take her; because of their family's nobility, she was a target for ransom. She may have been born into a world of the prim and proper, but there were people out there who couldn't be trusted; they would stop at nothing to claw their way into false riches. This was why she was kept a secret from the outside world; and why she didn't mind.

She felt her way along the wall, taking small steps, one at a time. One guard grew impatient and harshly gripped her arm. He forcefully dragged her to the dining room. This was the one reason she could begin to despise her guards at times…

She could hear him pull out a chair as he approached the table, pushing her into the seat before tucking the chair back under the table. The guard promptly left after the episode.

She could hear her parents bickering across the table about an upcoming investment opportunity. She sighed and closed her unseeing eyes in disappointment. Her parents quieted as a servant arrived with their dinner. The aroma of roast picken filled the large room.

"Finally…"

She could hear Poppy mutter under her breath. She probably hadn't meant it to be heard, but being one of her only senses, Sadako's hearing had become quite refined. A loud clatter across the room caused her to sit up straighter in her chair. She heard Poppy practically spit in disgust.

"Foolish boy! Look what you've done."

"I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am. I'll have it cleaned up immediately."

Her ears perked up. The voice…it was somehow familiar. She hazily tried to remember where she'd heard it…it was as if it were from a dream she'd had years ago.

Poppy ignored the boy's sincere apologies.

"Lao, why would you hire such a clumsy child!"

The room was quiet for an instant as she listened to the young servant pick up the dishes and begin to wipe down the floor. The shuffling of the dishes stopped momentarily, and she felt an unfamiliar pair of eyes on her than . She began to feel insecure, not knowing where the odd sensation was coming from.

Poppy snapped her fingers at the servant, who had paused his gathering.

"Boy! Finish doing your job and hurry on your way."

Her father stepped in.

"Now Poppy dear, I am aware that he is clumsy. Perhaps if his legs worked properly, he would be able to correctly complete his tasks. But for now he is still on a trial period. Just give the boy a chance. After all, you never know when he might be useful."

Lao's voice sounded … caring towards the boy. Her mother chuckled.

"Oh, alright. If you suppose that he may be productive, you may keep your new 'pet'. Just be sure to leave the more experienced servants to deliver the food?"

The tension in the room relaxed into a much friendlier atmosphere.

"Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Ma'am. I'll send out Utako immediatly."

The boy finished cleaning up the mess, he reentered the kitchen. A different server entered the room and laid a plate of food before her. The family ate in silence. She had to force her dinner down, bite by bite. The meal was high quality, yet it tasted bland. Growing up around extravagant cooking, it was just another meal to her. There was nothing special about it anymore.

When she had finished her meal, the impatient guard from earlier approached her, at her father's orders to be more gentle, and escorted her back to her room. It seemed to her that this was the only place she ever was. Every day had the same routine, no matter where she was.

After changing into the nightgown one of the servants had lay out on her bed while she was gone, she snuggled down under the plush lace comforter that was on her bed, before closing her eyes and drifting into a dreamless slumber.

The twinkling melody of a harp awoke her in the dead of night, but she didn't fear it. The music brought her a sense of peace and comfort; it had soothed her every night of her entire life. When she was younger and asked her mother about it, she'd told her that the music was played by a spirit, sent to drive away nightmares and cooruptuous misbeliefes that so many were victim to in the outside world; the Bei Fong family was special as to have him to protect them and their children as they slept.

The mysterious presence beside her bed continued to play on, and soon the ancient melody lulled her back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He was empty inside. So many regrets lingered in his mind. From the day he first saw her, preparing for battle, he'd been infatuated. As was he, she was disabled. But her blindness did nothing to weaken her the slightest bit. In fact, she was the strongest person he had ever met. During the invasion, he had seen her take down an entire battalion with her tank mates. And she was brave. She could challenge the toughest Fire Nation soldier without a single hint of hesitation or fear. He had even heard from Aang that she had taken on the best in the Earth Rumble tournaments! When the troops had separated and the gaang had fled to the Western Air Temple, they had bonded quite well, and became good friends. That was when he had truly gotten to know the real her. Behind her rocky exterior, she was smart and funny, though she still could be stubborn and hostile at times. But that didn't matter to him. It was a part of who she was, and he loved every part.

He had never gotten to tell her how he felt. A year, two months and fourteen days ago she had left without warning. Aang had told him countless times that she had gone to stay with her parents, but he would release no more information than that. It seemed so long ago that she had left. He had calculated the time from her departure nearly to the exact seconds she had been away, and he had done it millions of times. She said that she would be back. Yet after all of that time, she still hadn't returned.

Gliding with the others no longer brought him any sense of joy. Soaring through the clouds; which had once made him feel free; only reminded him of the times he had seen her on Appa, at her weakest. Right now, he was at his weakest. He spent his days mindlessly wheeling about the Northern Air Temple, alone, moping, thinking about her. He should have told her how he had felt. Then maybe, just maybe, she would have stayed. But he hadn't, and his heart was unintentionally broken, shattered to pieces like the rocks she was so good at destroying.

He sat in his father's workshop, trying to find any solitude at all. The mechanist was far too busy to deal with his distressed son. He had suggested he get a job; to keep himself busy, out of the temple. After much consideration, Teo decided that it might be best for him. Hard, physical labor would keep him occupied, giving him less time to wallow in his grief. With his mind off of her, there might be the slightest possibility; if any at all; of moving on, forgetting her.

His father helped him search the surrounding villages for employment throughout the next few weeks. Sadly, because of his handicap, no place would hire him. They all said the same thing, "The position had already been filled", but he knew the truth. They just would not hire a young paraplegic boy. He had begun to lose hope in his quest, until he found a flyer in the courtyard of a nearby village. It stated that in the town of Gaoling, a wealthy couple had a job opening for a servant boy. There were no specifications, just that the boy show up for work each day and live in the estate with the couple. His face brightened, and for the first time in months he was excited about something.

He immediately tucked the flyer into his tunic and rushed home as fast as his arms could push him. He found his father in his workshop. He yanked the flyer out and showed him. When the mechanist saw the information printed on the piece of parchment, his face fell.

"But…it's so far away."

He saw the genuine concern in his father's warm grey eyes.

"I know. But dad, you said it yourself. I need to do this, and this is the only opportunity I have. I'll be sure to write them to be sure they'll hire me, but I have a really good feeling about this. Just let me go, please."

His voice was pleading, something it hadn't done in so long. There hadn't been anything he had wanted this badly. He stared at the mechanist, his eyes doing so as his voice. His father sighed.

"Alright. If this is something that you feel you have to do, then I will support your decision."

Teo grinned from ear to ear, the muscles in his face barely remembering the gesture.

"Thank you. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

He wrote to the address on the flyer explaining his condition and circumstances, and waited for weeks to get a letter in response. When he had read what the note had said, was overwhelmed. The couple not only accepted him, but wanted him to start as soon as possible. And when he saw the signature, he could have fainted right then and there with shock. Lao Bei Fong, the richest man in the Earth Kingdom, had written him a letter of acceptance to be employed at his estate. This was incredible!

The following day he hugged his father and prepared to leave, fifteen and for once ready to take on the world. There were tears in the mechanist's eyes as he said his farewells. He sighed as he pulled out of the hug to wipe at the corner of his eye.

"I always know that the day would have to come where you would grow up and leave home. No amount of science could have prevented it from eventually happening. I guess I just never realized that it would be this soon…"

He felt a sharp pang of guilt deep in his chest. He had been hurt himself, he did not want to leave others the same way.

"Dad…-"

"No, I'll be fine. This is something you need to do, for yourself. You have to go."

His father lightly punched his arm.

"Go get 'em, boy."

He silently thanked him as he strapped on the wings of his glider. He turned back one last time before he took off into the mid day sky.

**Okay, in retrospect to PandaClaw, SailingSeas, and BeautifullyMisshappen, here is the second chapter. For future reference, chapters will not normally be updated this quickly, but I've been having writer's block (:P) on everything else, so here you are!**


	3. Chapter 3

The people on the streets of Gaoling weren't very considerate. He got prejudice looks every time anyone noticed that he was in a wheelchair, and a couple of boys around his age even openly mocked him. But he didn't let any of it bring him down. He was on his way to a new job, and a new life.

The Bei Fong estate wasn't difficult to find. It must have been the largest structure in the area. When he arrived, it loomed over him like a mountain. He sat for a moment, staring in awe at the sheer size. The wood-built mansion had intricate swirls and designs carved around the doors and windows, and the landscaping around the building itself was breathtaking. Luscious greens mixed with milky flowers, and trees and hedges were scattered about in an expert manner. When he returned his gaze to the building, he began to have second thoughts. It was so big…he could easily get lost. And who knew how many flights of stairs there were. No. he came all this way, he wasn't going to back down now. After arguing with himself for several minutes, he finally gained enough courage to make his way up the cobbled pathway to the door.

If he didn't meet their specifications, the worst they could do was send him home. He rapped on the new-smelling wooden door. A man who he presumed to be another servant opened the door and stared down at him.

"Ah, you must be that new…_cripple _boy that the Master has been talking about."

He gulped.

"Y-yes sir."

The servant sighed.

"Well, come along then."

The servant rushed him through the vast interior of the house. The plush, soft carpeting was a new experience for him. It made it difficult to keep up, being resistant to the wheels of his chair. The front hall was impressive, with banisters leading up the stairways to what he assumed to be Lao Bei Fong's business quarters. Dazzling chandeliers hung from the impossibly high ceilings throughout the house, and in the dining room a magnificent red-birch table engulfed the majority of the room. Chairs matching the wood of the table with white silk seat covers were positioned around the table. The servant waited in a large, double doorway for me to catch up. He swept his hand from the dining room to the room behind the doors.

"This is where you will be working. You are to deliver meals to the family and handle dish cleanup."

Teo nodded his head as he continued to follow the butler down the hallway. The two eventually stopped at a small room off to the side of the main corridor. Actually, it was only small compared to neighboring rooms. It was really quite sizable. A large bed with a dark brown quilt was in the center of the bedroom, and an antique oak amore stood in one corner, open and empty. The walls were white, as was the majority of the household, but this was the first room he'd come in contact with since his arrival to have wooden floors. A nightstand and mirror stood on either side of the bed.

"This will be your living quarters for as long as you are employed in the home."

With that, the servant curtly exited, leaving him to unpack the few belongings he came with.

When all of his clothing had been neatly tucked away, he looked out of the room's single window at the western portion of the lawn. He had never imagined that a home for a single family could be so colossal! From the window he could barely see the looming walls guarding the perimeter. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the vast yard. The beginning shadows of the topiary snaked over the grass, giving the yard a near eerie appearance. He closed the heavy drapes to block out the view, which was beginning to make him uneasy. The room was immediately darkened by the absence of sunlight. Remembering the time, he decided that he'd better get to his place of work, for it should be nearly dinner time. Being late on his first day certainly shouldn't sit well with his new boss.

He wheeled out into the hallway and looked around. What way had the kitchen been? He sighed and decided that it was best just to find his way on his own. Left was the direction he chose. He should have made a mental map on his way to the room, but hadn't thought of it at the time. The corridors were like a labyrinth, endlessly twisting and turning. Had it taken him this long to travel the first time? Nothing was familiar. Ten more minutes passed of his incessant roaming, and nothing was being accomplished. It finally dawned on him that he was completely lost. After circling the hall one last time, he decided to backtrack. If he could find his way back to his room, there was a good chance that he could locate the kitchen by traveling in the opposite direction. Backing up to turn around, his chair bumped into something large. He tilted his head around to meet a large man standing behind him. The man had a blank facial set, and was wearing a uniform similar to the earlier servant's. The man crossed his arms.

"Just where do you think you're going, kid?"

Teo gulped. The man's voice was gruff and intimidating.

"The kitchen?"

The man stood, expression unchanging. Teo began to sweat. There wasn't much more a person could do to him, but this man looked quite menacing.

"You're going the wrong way."

He sucked in his breath. This man worked here, he knew where he was supposed to be going. This was his only chance.

"I'm a little lost. Could you help me?"

The man appeared very annoyed. He let out a curt sigh and grunted.

"Fine. Follow me. But you'd better keep up, I'm not waiting for some cripple kid."

The man started down the hall without warning. His long strides and fast pace had Teo pushing himself nearly to his limits to keep up. One time he almost caught his fingers in the wheel of his chair, causing him to yelp. Yet still, the man didn't slow.

Teo noticed that almost every door they passed was open, another obstacle for him to dodge while struggling to match the man's heist. About halfway down the corridor, one door in particular stood out to him. Unlike the others, this one was closed. Why was that room specifically closed? What were they hiding? He didn't have time for his gaze to linger if he hoped to keep the man at least in his sights. Finally they came upon hallways that he began to recognize as the ones he had passed on the way to his room earlier. His arms burned from the effort of pushing himself at such speed the entire way. After what seemed like hours of physical endurance, they arrived at the kitchen's large double doors. The man was wordless as he continued on his way, most likely going to whatever task he had been about to attend to before Teo's interruption.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed his way through the doors and prayed he wasn't late. Inside, chefs were shuffling about, rushing to prepare dinner on time. One man, carrying a pot of roast picken over to the preparation counter, almost ran into him, and would have spilled scalding meat all over him.

"Hey! Watch it, kid!"

"Sorry!"

He wheeled around, attempting to stay out of the way. He eventually gravitated towards the preparation counter as to be ready when it was time for him to serve the food.

Two young men of about twenty, one wearing a white uniform, the other brown, were garnishing the plates. While he was observing, he noticed something peculiar that sparked his interest.

"Are the Bei Fong's having a guest?"

A puzzled look crossed the man in white's face.

"What?"

"The Bei Fongs," he specified. "Are they having a guest to dinner?"

The man in white shook his head.

"No. What would make you think that?"

Teo pointed at the counter.

"The plates. There are three."

The man in brown chuckled and elbowed the one in white.

"New kid."

The man in white turned back to Teo, understanding look on his face.

"Listen, the third plate is for the Bei Fongs' daughter, T-"

"Sadako."

The man in brown interrupted. The man in white turned to him, confused, and the two had a hushed conversation. He couldn't make out a word they were saying. Finally, they turned back to him.

"Their daughter Sadako."

Teo was surprised. This was the first he's ever heard about this piece of information.

"I never knew that the Bei Fongs had a daughter."

Ht man in brown responded.

"They don't exactly like everyone knowing. You see, she's disabled, and needs to be protected for people."

Teo pondered over this.

"Oh."

It made sense. Until his father had made him his chair, he had a similar mindset towards Teo. That's why he'd taken him to the Northern Air Temple; it was safe.

The two finished garnishing and handed him the plates.

"Here, you're turn. Get to work."

Teo nodded and carefully balanced the plates in one hand while using the other to push himself. He wheeled his way through the rest of the kitchen and towards the door of the dining room, surprisingly without anyone knocking into him or dropping the food. He somehow managed to push the door open with the extended part of his chair for his legs, and carted himself into the dining room. He looked at the small family waiting at the table to be served, ad the dishes slipped out of his grip and onto the floor.

**Oh my Spirits, this is a long chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Leave your comments in the review box!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is dedicated to AlmightyTaco123 for nominating Forget Me Not for Best Teoph Fic in the ATLA awards ;)**

He hadn't time to get a long look at the daughters face before he dropped the food in shock. For a moment, he'd thought he saw Toph.

The woman at the table was practically spitting.

"Foolish boy! Look what you've done!"

Teo felt horrible. His first task ever, and he'd made a complete klutz of himself. A trick of the eye, and he'd left a terrible first impression.

"I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am. I'll have it cleaned up immediately."

He bent over the side of his chair and began to clean up the mess. Picken, gravy, mashed potanas and steamed turnip-beets cluttered the floor. Thankfully, none of this dishes had shattered, and he at least had that benefit not to be added to his punishment. The woman continued to rant to her husband.

"Lao, why would you hire such a clumsy child?"

His guilt only grew with every word. Surely he'd be fired before he'd even get so much as a chance to prove himself to the nobles.

Glancing up in shame, the daughter caught his attention once again. Black hair cascaded down past her shoulders, disappearing below the table. She wore a long sleeved dress of pale green silk, and around her neck was a silver necklace, the charm a small flying boar. But her face. Teo's throat tightened. She did bear an awful resemblance to Toph.

An irritated snapping form the woman brought him out of his spell.

"Boy! Finish doing your job and be on your way!"

Teo shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and hurriedly continued to finish picking up the dishes. He unintentionally found himself listening in on the family's conversation.

For the first time since his arrival, Sir Lao Bei Fong, head of the noble family, spoke to his wife.

"Now Poppy dear, I am well aware that he is clumsy. Perhaps if his legs worked properly, he'd be able to complete the tasks of a servant," he paused momentarily, and Teo, for the first time, felt ashamed of his disability. Lao continued. "But for now he is still on a trial period. Just give him a chance. After all, you never know when he might be useful."

Lao looked over at Teo with a warmth in his eyes, and a slight smile. Teo was surprised to receive such respect and even…affection from this nobleman, whom he'd just met. The feelings of anxiety that had been building up in his stomach just moments before disintegrated.

The woman chuckled and placed a sympathetic hand on her husband's arm.

"Oh, alright,"

she rolled her eyes and smiled, giving Teo the impression that her spiteful demeanor had been altered.

"If you suppose that he may be productive, you may keep your new 'pet'. Just be sure to have the more experienced servants deliver the food?"

She jokingly pleaded, causing Lao to laugh.

Teo finished up with the plates and set the small stack on his lap. He clasped his freed hands in front of him and bowing his head to the family, grateful for their kindness despite his mistakes.

"Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Ma'am. I'll send out Utako immediately."

He quickly turned his chair around and exited the dining room.

Back in the kitchen, the rush had died down and the workers who remained were preparing dessert. Teo began to get nervous again. They all seemed eager to leave, how would they react to the news of having so stay even longer and cook an entire new meal?

The chef glanced up from his post filling pastries and noticed Teo by the door. He glanced down at the jumbled pile of plates and uneaten food an sighed, shoulders slouching slightly before suddenly becoming ramrod straight. He began to shout over his shoulder.

"Utako! You let this kid deliver the food? What is wrong with you! Get over here!"

Teo looked around, unsure of whom the large man was referring to when he summoned. Did he want him to approach so that he could be punished?

After several moments, the man in the brown uniform from earlier appeared. In the doorway, he looked from Teo's mess to the angry chef and gulped. He put on a nervous smile and began to slowly inch his way towards the chef.

"Utako, you fool! I said get over here now!"

The chef pointed to the ground in front of him, and Utako quickened his pace until he was standing before the flustered chef.

"Uh…um…hello, Ch-Chef Nobue. Is…is something wrong?"

His eyes darted back and forth as he stammered. The chef have an angry smirk and began to pace in front of Utako. His voice came out quietly at first, slow and raspy, sending a shiver down Teo's spine.

"Is something wrong…Is something wrong? I don't know. Does something look wrong to you, Utako? Why don't you tell me. Because I'm pretty sure that you know what it is!"

As the chef lectured, his voice rose to a frightening shout.

"Tell me, Utako, why you would send that boy, whom you don't even know, on his first day, without any instruction whatsoever, to do your job? What were you possibly thinking!"

"Um…I…uh…"

Utako stammered. The chef continued his disciplinary rant, oblivious to his shaking.

"What did you expect to happen! For him to not make a single mistake? To know exactly how to do the job that you've worked for ten years?"

Utako wrung his hands.

"Well, you see…I didn't think that it would be that difficult for him to-"

"That's not the point! The point is that you decided to slack off your job and dump all of your duties onto him! That is the one thing that you are to do, and then you just go and burden that boy with it! And the Bei Fong's now have to wait even longer before they are able to eat."

The chef paused, and Utako stood silent for a moment.

"Well! What do you have to say for yourself!"

The chef had stopped pacing at this point and was flailing his arms wildly.

"Nothing? You have nothing to say? Should I just fire you, right here and now!"

Utako gulped and began to stammer again.

"Er…uh…I apologize, Chef Nobue…"

Chef Nobue exploded.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it! Right now _you _are the one who is going to make the plates new from the extra picken in the ice box, which I so thankfully made, deliver it to the Bei Fongs and you will be relieved of your 'difficult' duties for a week."

With that said, the enraged chef stormed past Teo and out the other set of kitchen doors.

The kitchen was silent, still holding their breath from the chef's eruption. After a few eerie moments, a few clanks came from a man collecting the dishes from Teo, and the room sprang back into life.

Teo sat awkwardly near the doorway, unsure of what he was supposed to do. The man in white from earlier glanced up and him, and waved a hand at him.

"Go, shoo, we're busy here."

"Um…yes, sir…"

Teo was confused. He'd thought that this was his reason for being here? Why would they send him away? Then again, he did cause that big ordeal with Utako and the chef…

He obeyed his senior with a small nod and exited the kitchen.

**Wow! I am SO sorry about the lack of updates! I feel terrible; I've been lazy and neglected my fanfiction duties. I also had writer's block, so hopefully that's gone, but you guys don't deserve excuses. You've been so patient with me. Thank you for that! Here's two chapters to make up for my absence.**


	5. Chapter 5

Remembering the path from earlier, Teo made his way towards his room. The entire way his face was blank, as well as his mind. The confusion of the evening had overtaken his mind and seemed to have temporarily stolen all thoughts, leaving him in a shocked-like state of absentness.

The carpeting made his arms ache from pushing the wooden chair across it all day, but he would get used to it as time went on. Turning into his bedroom, he sat stationary in the doorway for a minute. What he hadn't noticed before was the design of his room.

He'd passed the living quarters of the other servants, and with the open doors would see drab, uniform furnishings in each of the rooms. He, on the other hand, had a room that not only maintained the same flow and elegance of the rest of the household, but was actually specified for his disability. Not a single other room in the estate had wooden floors besides the kitchen itself.

Another thing he hadn't noticed was his rooms proximity to the living quarters of the noble family. The other servants' rooms had been nearer to the kitchen, in a dormitory-style hallway.

Brushing it off as once again his unusual circumstances, he wheeled himself over by the bed, in front of the small end table. Placing one hand on the bed and the other on the nightstand, he lifted himself up and out of his chair, and with a small effort, he used the momentum to swing himself onto the bed.

He landed on his back in the center of the bed. For a while he just lay, debating whether or not to try and go to sleep. As he stared at the ceiling, hands folded across his stomach and body beginning to relax, he let his mind drift back to the Bei Fongs' daughter. She'd looked so much like Toph.

The same smooth, milky skin, the same delicately perfect features…his heart clenched. He'd missed Toph so much that today he'd thought that it was her.

He needed to get a hold of himself. He was going crazy. He missed Toph so much that he was starting to see her everywhere.

Toph was gone, she was away with her parents. She wasn't some random girl in his place of employment, no matter how great the appearential similarities were.

He must be lovesick into craziness. This girl was nothing like Toph! While Toph's black hair was tangled and held up in a haphazardly twisted bun with scraggly bangs covering the majority of her face, this girl's hair was left down, silky, and long; Teo estimated it to be at least down to her waist, if not her knees.

The expensive silk dress that she wore at dinner was in no way similar to Toph's old, worn out battle attire. For an instant, he pictured his Toph wearing the dainty gowns and fine jewelry, and chuckled to himself.

And the girl's personality. She was prim and proper, the daughter of a nobleman! She was quiet and sat perfectly still, ramrod straight. Refined and proper, she nearly defined nobility. She was the exact opposite of his slouching, blunt, loudmouthed Toph.

Teo scoffed himself for even thinking them similar. The two girls were as different as day and night.

But still, he felt a tear roll down his cheek, leaving a moist blotch on the silk pillow. Seeing that girl, -What had Utako called her? Sadako? - it was as if his all of his scarcely healing wounds had been reopened. Once again he remembered the day she left without warning in complete lucidity. It was as if it had just happened moments ago, instead of over a year.

_The Earth King had donated apartment dorms to the hero's of the war, which was where the majority of the teenagers were living. Teo still lived at the Northern Air Temple with his father, but he spent almost all of his time in the Impenetrable City with his best friend. _

_They'd spent the day fooling around in the shopping center of Ba Sing Se, and were taking a rest break at the Jasmine Dragon._

"_Are you serious? There is no way that The Boulder could lose a fight with a Canyon Crawler."_

"_Hah! You've got to be kidding. That guy's a wimp! The Crawler would gobble him up in seconds."_

_Toph laughed, and kicking her feet up onto the table, motioned outward with her hands in a smooth gesture to illustrate how easy it would be. Teo shot back, defending his argument._

"_But the Boulder is one of the best in the ring! There's no way he could lose!"_

"_Pft!" Toph scoffed, "I'm the best. I think I know what I'm talkin' 'bout when I say that The Boulder's nothin' but a jelly-boned wimp."_

_She gave a satisfactory grin, and Teo had to laugh.._

"_Fine, I give up." Teo clasped his hands together and bowed his head. Trying to use his most serious tone, he said "Ever-praises, great master Toph. I am her to serve you and your legendary rockiness, Oh Superior One. "_

_Teo smirked and squinted one eye open in time to see Toph spit out her tea, cracking up. Grinning, Teo started laughing along with her. _

_Before long, they were in hysterics. Neither of them knew what exactly was so funny, but any time they'd look at each other they would burst out in giggles. People in the restaurant began to stare, but they didn't care; they were having too much fun. _

_The door to the restaurant swung open and Katara burst through. She looked slightly frantic as she looked around the room._

"_Toph?" she called from the doorway. When she spotted her, she sprinted over to the table, out of breath. Toph managed to grab onto the table and regain control of herself, laughter only coming out in quiet pants._

"_Hey, what's up?"_

_She gasped out another giggle, causing Teo to do the same. With an irritated huff, unhappy to be ignored, Katara began to lecture her._

"_Toph, there you are! I've been looking all over Ba Sing Se for you! Come on!" She was nearly panting._

_Toph blew a strand of hair out of her face, giving Teo a glimpse of her silvery green eyes. _

"_Settle down, Sugar Queen. What's the big rush?"_

_Despite Katara's unusual composure, Toph maintained her usual laid-back composure. _

"_Come on, you have to get back to the apartment, now!"_

_Teo thought that Katara's behavior was a little off, but he just brushed it off as nothing. Due to her expression, he just assumed that Sokka had been visiting the girl's dormitory and got his head stuck in the stair railing again. _

_Toph leaned back, looking more annoyed than amused by her strange actions._

"_Why? It's not that late, is it?"_

_Not even thinking about the time, Teo looked up at the sky. Sure enough, it had begun to get dark out. He should probably have started heading back home to the Temple soon._

_Katara grabbed Toph's wrist._

"_Hurry up! I'll explain on the way there."_

_With a groan, Toph slowly got up from her seat as Katara made a failed attempt to drag her. _

"_Let go of me! I'll come with ya'. Sheesh!"_

_She yanked her wrist back, and shook her head in an irritated fashion. _

_Turning back to the table, she balled up a fist and swung back her arm. The impact stung on Teo's left bicep, and he continued to be marveled by her strength. _

"_Later, Shorty."_

_Teo chuckled at the nickname. He never wanted to burst her bubble, but the truth of the matter was that although they were the around same height during the invasion, he'd grown several inches in the few years after the war ended. If he stood up, he'd now be taller than her by quite a bit. Then again, in his wheelchair she was still the dominant height._

"_See you at lunch, Toph."_

_She stuck out her tongue like she always did when he remarked "seeing" her. He knew that it never offended her; it was more like an inside joke. _

_With a grunt, Katara proceeded to drag Toph out of the restaurant as the two made faces at each other, earning more looks from bystanders._

_After she was gone, Teo noticed something on the floor. Leaning down for closer inspection, he noted that it was one of the puffs from Toph's headband. It must have fallen off when she shook her head. With a chuckle, he picked it up and tucked it into his shirt to give back to her tomorrow. _

_When he arrived back at the Jasmine Dragon the next day, he saw everyone seated about the usual lunch table, with Iroh pouring a cup tea for Suki. At second glance, he noticed that Toph wasn't with them. With the usual grin on his face, he wheeled up to the table._

"_Hey guys."_

_Everyone looked up at him, seemingly not discerning him until then. They all looked slightly down. _

_Looking again, he saw that Toph's seat was still empty. This sparked a slight worry in him; she was always one of the first to greet him._

_His face held the slight hint of a concerned frown as he spoke up._

"_Where's Toph?"_

_Those at the table looked back and forth at each other awkwardly. This confused him even more, and he didn't like it one bit. Figuring that they didn't hear him, he asked again._

"_What's going on here? Where's Toph?"_

_Katara bit her lip and looked down at her cup, everyone else doing pretty much the same thing. After a few unnerving moments of silence, Aang looked up at Teo. He appeared to be having some trouble, but he looked him straight in the eye._

"_Teo?"_

_He gulped. The tone of his voice was serious, and pitying._

"_Toph's gone."_

Teo's heart ached at the memory. A lot had happened to him in his 16 years, but that was one of the worst moments of his life. Aang never did reveal any more information about he location other than the fact that she was back home.

She probably went off to the edge of the Earth Kingdom, somewhere with a lot of bending space. He could picture her family; her father must be a powerful Earthbender, where she got her abilities from. He must be witty and stubborn like her, and he'd imagine he'd be proud of her outstanding achievements in the ring. She got her beauty from her mother, who he pictured to be where Toph got that soft side that only he could see. She'd already told him that she was an only child.

He could see her father showing her new bending techniques, upping her skills. Toph smiling as her father ruffled her wild hair, heading back towards the house. They were happy to have their daughter back after being away for so long.

She was happy. Happy without him, resuming her life before the war. He was glad that she was happy, but it still destroyed him inside. All of the anger and hurt from the day she left came back, and he had to fight back tears.

HE grit his teeth, angry at himself for actually thinking that little Bei Fong girl as his Toph, and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillows. With a groan, he forced his mind back into idlety.

Yet it still must have been hours before he finally fell asleep.

**So here's the second chapter. Once again, I am SO sorry! Hopefully my block and spat of laziness are gone, and updates will come on my other stories as well.**


	6. Chapter 6

Teo stretched as he blinked his eyes open to the still darkened room. Stifling a yawn, he rolled over to check the time on the candle he'd placed on his bedstand.

The flame illuminated enough of the solid wax to see that it was burnt down pretty far, but he couldn't read the notches. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus. One, two, three notches left. Three hours to midday…

Three hours to midday? But how? It was still dark! With a gasp, he whipped his head around to face the window, suddenly remembering he'd drawn the curtains the night before.

"No…"

He groaned; he was supposed to be down by the kitchen hours ago. He was late! His first impression had been bad enough yesterday, but now this?

Frantically, he flung back the covers and lowered himself into his chair. Opening the drawer on his nightstand, he randomly dug through the clutter until his hand clasped around a soft, round object. He brought it to his lips for good luck before stuffing it into his pocket and racing out the door.

"Excuse me, pardon me, sorry," he uttered out short apologies as he sped past other servants who were walking through the corridors on his way to the kitchen. It was only his second day; practically his first; and he was already hours late. Nobue was going to be furious! He'd seen second-hand how the chef could get when upset last night; his ears were still ringing from the sheer volume of his scolding of poor Utako.

With one last sharp turn, he saw the large double doors leading into his work station, busy servants buzzing in and out like hornet-bees.

Taking a deep breath to steady his ragged breathing, he slowed his pace and made his way towards the door.

A scrawny man in a tan uniform carrying a pot of tea brushed past him near the door. The man paused for a moment, giving him an odd look as he abruptly stopped.

"H-hey," was all Teo could manage as he grinned sheepishly back up at the man. He must be in for it… The man simply rolled his eyes before stalking off to wherever it was he was bringing the tea.

Pushing open the doors, he glanced around the kitchen, unsure of where to be amongst the activity. Everywhere he looked, anything needing to be done seemed to be… well, being done. The kitchen seemed mechanical, a person each doing one task, every task filled.

The aroma of eggs and fresh fruit still lingered from breakfast, and early preparations were being made for lunch. Workers were rushing about as usual, but in a slightly less frantic manner, with lunch still being several hours away.

Towards the far back corner of the kitchen, Teo spotted a tall, middle-aged man struggling to carefully wash and dry dishes at the sink; every so often he would drip water onto the dry dishes as he reached across for a towel or scrubber, and he'd have to begin the process all over again. To his satisfaction, Teo noticed that the dry rack and towel were slightly lower than the sink; he could ask the man if he needed help.

Weaving in and out of servants, he made his way across the room, finally finding a task to occupy his time with.

He'd gotten just about halfway to the back when he felt a large, calloused hand come down from behind him and grasp his shoulder.

"What are you doing back in my kitchen, boy?"

He tilted his head backwards to see Chef Nobue towering over him, mouth set in a stern line.

Teo blinked.

"Going to help with the dishes over there, sir," he said, pointing towards the man in the corner. Nobue's face scrunched in confusion for a second, before returning to it's authorial glare.

"Why would you be doing that? Haven't you caused enough trouble here? Get out of my kitchen."

Teo's heart raced.

"But sir, I thought that-"

He silently pointed to the door."No buts! I want you out of this kitchen at once!"

Nobue's voice raised at the last few syllables, and although taken off guard, Teo reluctantly admitted defeat and turned around his chair.

"As you wish."

He hung his head, not looking up his entire way to the door. Once back in the hallway, he continued to push himself until he reached a currently uninhabited hallway. There he stopped, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair and rubbing his temple.

None of this was making any sense. The chef had said himself that the incident last night had been entirely Utako's fault, not his own. Had Nobue changed his mind on the situation? He hadn't seen Utako among the kitchen staff, as expected, but if he only arrived closer to meals, Teo would have no way of knowing whether or not Nobue had hired him back.

If it were the lack of training as a busboy that led to Nobue's upset of him, he could simply have watched one of the servants for a day, have them show him the ropes; he was a fast learner, and would be up to date in no time at all.

Was it his timing that had annoyed the chef? He'd known being as late as he was could anger him, but Teo never imagined it to this extreme. What on Earth was he supposed to do now?

Teo looked up as a man sweeping the floors passed him, barely giving him a second glance. A thought occurred to him; the butler that had showed him around had told him that he was to work in the kitchen, but he could speak to the head of maintenance servants. They could have an opening for him.

Thinking this through, he realized that it was a false hope. He sighed; he was useless to them. What could he possibly do? He couldn't sweep, he couldn't wash windows or trim hedges. Heck, he couldn't even help maintain the sand garden!

He slipped his and into his pocket and squeezed the small puff, closing his eyes. No, it'd probably be best to just head back to his room and begin packing his things.

Focused on the task ahead, he turned and started off toward his room.

He hadn't even reached the nearest hall intersection when he spotted a man in a dark green uniform and unusual hat running towards him. Teo stopped as the man called out.

"Are you Mr. Quey-Rin?"

"Yes," he replied. Who was this? The man slowed to a stop in front of him.

"Teo, am I correct?"

He nodded.

The man was nearly out of breath.

"Master Bei Fong wishes to speak with you, sir. He states that it is of the utmost crucial importance."

Teo's heart dropped. Well, it appeared that his pessimistic intuition had been correct; it was official. He was done for here. He just hadn't expected the news to come from the head himself.

He sighed.

"Yes sir."

The man nodded, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Very well then, follow me."

**Oh my Spirits, I haven't updated in so long! Summer's been sorta busy, but that's no excuse. I feel terrible, really. I promise to update much sooner next time. (Especially since I don't want to leave you hanging) **

**For those of you who put up with me, you guys are great. **

**Review please, it helps motivate me to get off my butt and write!**


	7. Chapter 7

The halls around him faded to nothing as the man in green led him to Master Bei Fong's office

Surely this was it. The illusions of a new lifestyle he could have had being a servant to such a noble family came crashing down before his eyes with every step the man took ahead of him. Instead of the lavish room he'd been given here, he'd soon be returning to his bedroom at the Air Temple with his father.

His father…Who'd never given up on anything. When an invention of his wouldn't function as planned, he worked tirelessly until it did. When something broke at the temple, he was on the spot immediately to see that it was fixed. When their village was destroyed, he'd searched and searched until he'd found a new home. When he'd been paralyzed…When he was captured…

What was he going to say to him? He could solve anything. And here Teo was, his first time really away from home, and he'd already messed up. He'd be so disappointed…

No. He wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't. He couldn't just go home like this; he'd beg if he had to, but he was staying here; he wouldn't let his father down.

His jaw set in determination as they rounded the last corner and arrived at the office.

The man stepped in front of him and bowed.

"I've brought Teo as you requested, sir."

He heard Lao clear his throat.

"Thank you, Shunsui. You may be on your way now."

"Yes Sir." He scurried around Teo and out the door.

For the first time, Teo got a good look at the family head. Lao had stern grey eyes and black hair, with what appeared to be the start of a fu manchu on his upper lip. He had a headpiece signifying himself as the leader of the Bei Fong family, was attired in flowing light green and yellow silk robes, and had a powerful air to him all together. Teo's confidence quickly diminished.

He bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of him.

"My deepest apologies, sir." His words came out rushed and desperate, hardly with the casual ambiance he'd been hoping. He sounded pathetic; well, there went his chance…

Lao seemed taken aback.

"Apologies? For what, my boy?"

Teo lifted his head up, cracking one eye open to take another look at Lao.

"For the mistakes I've made since coming here. I promise they'll never happen again Sir."…or at least he hoped they wouldn't. Lao's eyes widened slightly for a moment.

"What on Earth are you talking about? You haven't done a thing wrong. What would give you that impression?"

Teo began to stutter.

"B-But the mess in the dining hall; oversleeping; upsetting the chef-"

He was cut off when Lao held up a hand, silencing him.

"What you seem to be describing are mistakes of a servant; you can't possible think that I'd summoned you here from so far away for a task as simple minded as such."

He was taken off guard.

"W-what?"

Lao frowned.

"You must be wondering why I've brought you here."

He gulped, his mouth becoming dry.

"Yes, Sir."

Lao sighed. He sat rigid, his tone become more serious than before.

"Being here in the estate for the last couple of days, I'm sure you've already heard of my daughter, Sadako."

Teo nodded quietly; this meeting was turning out completely different than he'd imagined. It was strange.

Lao continued.

"You see, she's been blind since birth. Ever since she was young, her mother and I feared her being harmed, or kidnapped for ransom. It's a dangerous world out there. That's why we've kept her hidden from the outside world; it would be difficult enough to protect a normal child from the horrors of society, we didn't want to risk our fragile, helpless little girl getting hurt. She'd become a much easier target." He paused, a faraway look in his eyes as he described his daughter. "Ever since she's been old enough to walk, I've had guards on duty at all times to watch her; keep her safe. We'd always thought this was the best option for her, until recently."

Lao took a deep breath.

"A few years ago, she ran away from home, claiming that the guards were just too much, that she didn't need people watching out for her constantly, and how she wasn't any different than other children, so why would she need all this fuss? She just didn't understand.

"Poppy and I were devastated. She was gone for almost a year. Her mother cried every night until she returned, and I spent days at a time going over plans with some of the help, determined to bring her home. "Once we'd found her, we spoke with her about how this was the only way to ensure her safety. It was difficult to describe what could happen without frightening her, but I think she understood.

"She still seemed hesitant to return at first, only agreeing to stay once Poppy and I agreed to limit the number of guards around her at one time.

"This has worked out fine for quite a while, and it seemed almost as if things had returned to normal. But lately, I've been seeing signs that she might try to leave again. I didn't know what to do…then I received your letter, requesting a job here at the estate."

He had Teo's full attention. Where was he going with this? He continued.

"Your letter intrigued me. You seemed as confident and as able as any other soul coming to me for employment; but, like my daughter, you were disabled."

Teo nodded, becoming increasingly puzzled.

"As I read further, I saw that you'd fought in the war against the Fire Nation-at such a young age!- and returned victorious. Your resume gave me an idea.

"Although it would be easiest to decrease the number of guards once again, it occurred to me that sadly, no matter how many times we'd do so, Sadako would still remain unhappy.

"But you…You have proven capable of defending, and at the same time, are like her. You know the pressures and difficulties of having a disability more than any guard; you would understand her, know what limits would be comfortable for her, while still keeping her under close watch. You were the answer to my prayers.

"All I need to know now is, can I trust you?"

Teo's mouth hung agape with shock.

"W-what?"

Lao locked eyes with him, and behind the professional exterior, he could see a desperate pleading.

"Can I trust you with the safety of my daughter?"

**Woah, exactly 1111 words? Make a wish! Lolz**

**Yeah, I left you hanging a little, but I'll update soon. Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys are awesome! Who knows, maybe the more you review, the sooner I'll update :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Teo sat for a moment in shock. Lao was asking him to be, what? A bodyguard for his daughter? Sure, he'd given him explanation and reasoning, but this was a huge responsibility! Couldn't he have told him his plans before his arrival?

He glanced up at Lao, who sat patiently waiting for his response. Sadly, he didn't think he would wait forever. He had to make a decision, and fast.

"Of course, Sir." He heard come out of his mouth. Wait, had he just accepted? He wasn't done thinking!

Lao looked down at him, smiling.

"Thank you, Teo. You have no idea how grateful I am to hear that."

With one look into the man's eyes, he knew it was too late to back out. He was genuinely glad that Teo had agreed to his offer; he couldn't just crush his hopes.

Besides, how hard could watching the girl be? He doubted that much excitement would take place, especially seeing that nobody outside of the estate even knew of her existence. Even if something were to happen, he shouldn't have too much difficulty getting her to safety; he could just use his glider to fly her somewhere out of harms way. Not to mention that he'd get to remain at the estate with the Bei Fongs.

He grinned inwardly; this could actually be kind of fun.

"It would be an honor." He bowed.

Lao cleared his throat.

"Of course. Now, all you have to do is answer a few short questions…"

No less than several hours of interrogation later, Teo was dismissed. He was given a full tour of the estate by one of Sadako's former guards, along with specifics about his responsibilities.

"You are to constantly be by Sadako's side, from the time the sun rises to the beginning of the sun's set. You will eat all of her meals with her, go where she goes in the estate, and assist her in any means possible throughout the day. Then you are to bring her to her room after dinner, and be on your way. There is somebody already assigned to watch her in the evening, so you will be off duty at that time. Do you understand?"

Teo nodded to the man; this seemed easy enough.

"Is that all?" he asked.

The man paused for a minute, thinking. He took a deep breath.

"Well, there is one thing…" he paused, his voice taking on a gravely serious tone. "It is a law throughout the estate that no one; absolutely no one other than the night watchman or Lao himself; is to go near Miss Bei Fong's bedchamber after sunset. Nobody has broken this rule in my time here, but I've been told that punishment for disobeying this order is severe. It is of utmost importance to remember this."

Teo gulped.

"Okay…"

The rule was highly unusual in his mind, but the way the guard spoke of it gave him the chills.

The guard was quiet for a second, before returning to his usual composure. They came upon the closed door Teo had seen the day before, and the man stopped. He gestured to it with his arm, looking at Teo.

"Well, are you ready?"

Teo shook his head, clearing his thoughts, before smiling.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

The guard turned away and knocked on the wood.

"Sadako," he called. There was a moment of anticipation before Teo heard the teenage girl's voice respond from inside the room.

"Yes, Wakaki?"

"There is somebody out here that you need to meet."

Teo could hear things being shuffled around inside the room. Suddenly the door opened, revealing the small-statured girl standing before them, part of her long black hair draped over the front of her shoulders. She lifted her head to show that she was paying attention.

The guard Wakaki cleared his throat.

"Miss Bei Fong, I would like you to meet Teo. Starting today, he will be the one looking after you."

She whipped her head toward the sound of his voice. Wakaki gently took her hand and placed it on the arm of Teo's wheelchair, and signaled for him to introduce himself.

"Um, hello, Sadako. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He put a hand on top of hers, letting her know he was the one speaking. Yes, she had a hand on his chair, but he didn't know if she understood that he was in it.

She turned to face the sound of his voice.

"It's nice to meet you too, Te-o…"

She pronounced his name slowly, brining her free hand to her mouth, as if it were foreign.

Wakaki turned to her.

"I'm afraid I must be going now, malady. I'll be leaving you under Teo's care from now on."

Sadako nodded quietly as the guard proceeded down the hall, leaving the two in silence. Neither moved for several minutes, until Teo spoke up.

"So…what is it you like to do around here, Sadako?"

She laughed.

"Not much, really."

She turned to go back into her room, motioning for Teo to follow her.

The room was pale yellow, with white carpeting on the floor. A pink and white lace comforter was on a queen sized bed in the center of the room, and a pink silk bed curtain surrounded it, drawn in the front by white satin ropes.

Next to the door to the left was a large, white painted dresser, with various items scattered about. Against the right wall was a vanity table, also painted white, with an oval mirror hanging above it. Female beauty products, unused, cluttered the clean tabletop. A white bookshelf was on the opposite wall, it's shelves filled with scrolls and knickknacks, and a few beautiful little-girl's dolls.

Sadako walked over and sat down on her bed. Teo followed, stopping beside it.

"Could you hand me my hairbrush, please?" Sadako asked.

"Sure."

Teo's eyes darted about the room, locating the brush on the dresser. He quickly wheeled over to pick it up, and noticed a stack of parchment sheets beside it. Looking closer, he saw that they detailed line paintings of mountains.

Putting them in his lap, he went back to Sadako, holding out the brush.

"Here."

She reached out and took it from him.

"Thanks," she smiled. She began brushing the hair that was over her shoulders.

Teo looked at the drawings that were on his lap, curious.

"Hey, who drew these?"

"Hm?" Sadako cocked her head.

That's right, blind…

"The pictures on your dresser; where'd you get them?"

"Why?" she asked.

Teo held one up to get a better look at it.

"They're really good, I wanted to know who drew them."

Sadako giggled. "I drew them. They're just random scribbles I did when I was bored."

His eyes widened.

"Well, your 'sribbles' are really good."

"Thanks."

He reached over and returned the papers where he found them. Looking back at Sadako, he noticed her having difficulties reaching the back of her head with the brush.

"Do you need help?"

She held out the brush. "Would you?"

"Of course," he smiled, taking it.

She turned around and let him brush through her hair. It was the longest he'd ever seen! It had to be around four feet, yet it was surprisingly lacking of tangles. The two were silent for a minute.

"Why were you on wood?" Sadako asked suddenly.

"What?"

Teo was taken aback.

"When Wakaki first helped me find you, he put my hand on wood."

He chuckled. "Oh. That's just my wheelchair."

Sadako turned to face him.

"Wheelchair?"

"Yeah; my legs were paralyzed when I was young, so I need a wheelchair to get around." he pulled the brush back and rotated it in his hands, becoming solemn.

Sadako's face grew concerned.

"What happened?" she asked.

Teo sighed.

"When I was little, there was a bad flood in our village. I don't remember it, but my father's told me about it. It was dry for weeks, and when the storm came, the ground was too hard to absorb the water. It was a torrential downpour, and it overflowed the river running alongside the town. The water was high; it swept away everything in it's path. Unfortunately, that included the small village, and our home. My father was at work at the time, and rushed to the house as fast as he could, but he was too late. By that point, my mother was gone…and I was barely alive, debris breaking my lower back. I eventually got better, but the injury paralyzed me for life."

He stopped, deciding that he'd told enough.

"Wow…" Sadako frowned, her voice quiet. "That's terrible…where did you go?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"Your village was destroyed; where did you live?" she explained.

Teo shook his head, smiling sadly at his misunderstanding.

"My father took us to the Northern Air Temple; that's where we've lived ever since."

"Oh."

Teo laughed. "Okay, enough with all that depressing stuff, it's time to go down for lunch."

Sadako smiled.

"Alright."

**Whew! Finally onto the actual story. Aw, I think Sadako's made herself a new friend. :) Review please! You guys are awesome!**


	9. Chapter 9

Lunch wasn't very exciting, being just the two of them and Poppy, with Lao conducting business in his office. Throughout the meal, Poppy kept glancing up skeptically at Teo, making him uneasy. For some odd reason, the woman wasn't too fond of him, and didn't necessarily care to keep it hidden.

Once they'd finished eating, and Sadako was excused from the table, they returned to her room. Sadako seated herself back on her bed, and Teo moved over to the bookshelf.

"So, is there anything else that you like to do around here? Something to keep yourself busy?" He looked over at her swinging her feet over the edge of the bed.

"Not really."

Teo thought for a minute, trying to find something for them to do. Noticing the old scrolls on her bookshelf, he decided to give one a shot. "Hey Sadako, do you want me to read you something?"

He picked up the top scroll.

Sadako turned to him. "Like what?"

Teo unrolled the scroll, checking the title. "Um… It's called 'Oma and Shu'. I think it's one of those old fairytales." He grinned. "I haven't heard one of these in ages. What do you think?"

Sadako thought for a minute.

"Sure, I guess. I don't think I remember that one."

Teo laughed. "Great!"

Sadako pat the bed beside her.

"Why don't you come closer?"

"Alright."

He wheeled over and sat himself next to the bed. As a last moment's thought, he placed the scroll on the bed and eased himself out of his chair to sit next to her as he read. Picking up the scroll, he began to read.

"They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages. The villages were enemies so they could not be together. But their love was strong, and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badger moles; they became the first earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels so that they could meet secretly. Anyone that tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth."

He glanced down to see Sadako curl her legs underneath her, staring intently at where she presumed the parchment he was reading from was located. "But one day the man didn't come; he died in the war between their two villages."

She leaned up against him, gasping softly. "That's so sad; poor Oma…" she whispered.

"Hey," he said. "It's not over yet; there's more."

She nodded for him to continue.

"Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power. She could have destroyed them all, but instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace."

"The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu; the great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love."

He folded the scroll back up and placed it in his lap. "So," he asked. "What did you think?"

Sadako was quiet for a second. "I don't know… it's so sad. I'm glad Oma ended the war, though, it was terrible."

"Yeah."

"Nobody should fight. War is pointless," she continued.

"Heh," Teo scoffed, "don't I know it."

She turned to him. "What do you mean?"

Teo sighed. "I once fought alongside the Avatar in battle."

Sadako's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Yeah…" Teo sat quietly.

"Tell me about it," Sadako begged.

He chuckled. "Alright. So there we were inside of the tank, outnumbered by Fire Nation troops…"

Sadako listened intently as he spent the next several hours describing to her his tales of the war, their walking for miles to flee to safety, and his adventures at the Western Air Temple with Haru and The Duke.

Both were so absorbed in the stories that before they knew it, the bell was being rung for dinner.

Teo looked towards the door. "Wow, we'd better get going. Your father won't be happy if we're late."

Sadako nodded.

He shifted himself off of the bed and back onto his chair, and put Sadako's hand on the handle of his chair, starting for the door. She slid down from her seat and the two left for the dining room.

After yet another uneventful meal, Teo escorted Sadako back to her room. The night watchman was already posted, and he handed her off to him. The man nodded before ushering her into her room.

She called over her shoulder before. "Goodnight Teo!"

He chuckled. " 'Night."

The guard shut the door, remaining on the outside. He stood for a moment, before he glared down at Teo. "Move along, kid. Scram."

He nodded his head, hurrying down the hall. So, what was he supposed to do now? The sun was setting, so the estate was becoming dark enough to severely limit his options.

Yawning, he remembered that was almost to his room. With a shrug, he decided that he might as well just go to bed early; he didn't want to risk being late like that again.

Turning into his bedchamber, he closed the door and began to situate himself for bed. As he lay down, sleep began to take over him much more quickly than the night before. Today had been a surprisingly fun day. He was going to enjoy his new task; he already knew it.

When he was just to the point of drifting out of consciousness, a noise jolted him back into alert.

Muffled by the door, there was the distant melody of a harp being strum. He shook his head, thinking he were imagining it, but it didn't go away. Dragging himself out of bed, he moved to his chair and opened the door.

Peering down the hall, he could tell that it was coming from somewhere in the noble family's sleeping quarters. Squinting through the dark, curious, he tried to see more of what was going on. He was about to wheel himself into the hall when he remembered the rule the guard had told him; he was absolutely forbidden to go near Sadako's room after sunset, and he assumed that it called for the rest of the family's as well.

With a sigh, he turned back into the room. Whatever they did at night was their own business.

He returned to his bed and submitted himself to sleep.

**Alright, I admit, not my best chapter ever :P I promise the next one will be MUCH better, I'm a little excited for it myself. And I'd just like to make a short comment to my reviewer Adam Hardy: You are absolutely awesome! Your reviews always make me smile, I love your enthusiasm for the plot. If the dramatic irony is killing you now, you'd better hold on, it gets worse XD** **As for the rest of you who also put up with my random updating scheduled, thank you so much, you're great! I love all of you guys!**


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next couple of weeks, Teo and Sadako grew to be close friends. He was constantly laughing, and quickly fell out of the previous depression he'd had before arriving at the estate. To his surprise, he was even slowly beginning to forget about Toph. He still kept her puff with him, but he was healing.

He headed for the door this morning, ready to go meet Sadako for breakfast. As he reached for the door handle, he suddenly remembered the day. The 9th day in the moon's cycle.

He closed his eyes. One year and three months…

Sighing, he tried to brush it aside. It was useless getting upset all over again.

He pushed himself out of the room and down the hall, completely emptying his mind. If his mind was hollow, he wouldn't be thinking about the day, and he wouldn't be wallowing.

Arriving at Sadako's door, he knocked. "Hey Sadako, are you ready?"

He heard her feel her way to the door before it swung open. "Yeah."

He forced a smile. "Come on then, let's go."

She nodded as she felt for his chair, keeping her hand on the back as he led her down to the dining room.

Bowls of fruit waited for each of them as they approached the table; breakfast was a meal that they usually ate alone. He took his seat beside Sadako, and the two ate in silence. It was unusual to be so quiet, but Sadako was always shy during meals, leaving it up to him to strike conversation, and today he just wasn't up to it. It took all of his concentration to keep his mind blank.

Soon the silverware began to clink against the ceramic dishes, and a servant came to clear the table. Sadako pushed back her seat, signaling that it was time to leave, and the two started for the corridor leading to the yard. Each morning after breakfast they wandered about the courtyard just outside of the dining room, and usually just goofed around.

When he cracked open the door so that they could slip outside, a rush of hot, humid air mixed with a thick aroma of lilacs, lilies, and other various flowers greeted him. Sadako, sniffing the sweet atmosphere, quickly stepped around the door and stood behind it as rehearsed. Teo looked around to be sure nobody followed, as they weren't permitted to wander outside of the estate, and pushed himself out the door as swiftly as possible, reaching down to jam a small rock between the frame to keep from locking themselves out.

As they continued to the gardens, Sadako was nearly panting, lifting her hair up in back every few seconds. "Hey Teo," she turned to him, pulling a long, pink silk band out of her robes. "Would you mind tying my hair up for me? It's very warm today."

Teo took the band. "Um, sure. Turn around," he ordered, and gathered her hair in his hands. The dark strands were indeed scorching, absorbing the heat and no doubt making the girl miserable. He twisted it into a bun of sorts, and pulled the band over her head. Satisfied that it looked halfway descent, he sat back.

"There; is that any better?"

She nodded, turning back. "Thanks."

He looked at her to say something, but his words immediately caught in his throat. With her hair up like that…she looked so much like her. He shook his head, scolding himself. He was just making himself miserable; Toph was gone, she was never coming back. It was about time he accepted it and moved on.

They continued to walk in complete silence, until Sadako groaned quietly and reached down to rub her feet. Teo searched the garden until he spotted a bench in the shade of a big birch-oak tree, surrounded by small light blue flowers with yellow rings in the center, and led her over to rest.

"Teo, what's wrong?" she faced him after sitting down, concerned.

"Hm?" he looked over at her.

She sighed. "You've been really quiet today; something's up."

"What? Oh, nothing's wrong, just…tired." he mentally kicked himself; that sounded pathetic!

"Teo," she glared his direction. "Tell me."

"It's nothing…" his voice was low. "It's just that… for some reason, you remind me of someone that I really miss."

She shifted forward in her seat, beckoning for him to continue.

"Alright…well, you remember how I met all of those people during the war, right?"

She nodded.

"I don't think I've mentioned this person before. There was this girl, Toph. She was a really good friend of mine." He stopped, taking a deep breath. Sadako cocked her head.

"What was she like?"

He almost laughed at himself; of course she'd want to know more. "Well, she was beautiful, a lot like you. And she was smart, and funny, and brave. She was my best friend…" he gulped, old memories bubbling to the surface.

"You loved her." Sadako's voice was downcast.

He smiled sadly. "Yeah," he said. "And I guess I still do."

He glanced over at Sadako, who's eyes were closed, hands folded in her lap.

"Toph sounds like a lucky girl." she offered a halfhearted grin.

Teo sighed. "She didn't feel the same way. And she left before I could tell her how I felt."

"Oh."

Nobody spoke for a while. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he decided it was time to lighten the mood a bit.

"Hey Sadako," he asked. "What's up with that music down the hall every night?"

The music he had become aware of his second night here never ceased. It played all night, every night; starting at dusk and ending long after he'd fallen asleep. He'd been curious before, but hadn't wanted to ask.

He looked at her expectantly. Switching back into gear, she smiled.

"Music? Oh, that's just the Bei Fongs' sleep guardian."

"What?" Her response didn't do anything to help answer his question; if anything, it had puzzled him even further.

She continued. "The Bei Fongs have a spirit named Bei, who protects us as we sleep; he prevents sadness of the night. He plays a harp to drive away nightmares, replacing them with pleasant dreams. He's been with our family for as long as time itself. My mother told me of him when I was young, and he still comes every night, and I've never had a nightmare. He's a blessing."

Teo let this sink in. "Wow," he'd never heard of such a type of spirit before; even being friends with the Avatar, as he was. Then again, anything was possible.

She giggled. "Yeah, I guess we're just special."

"Yeah."

He looked down and grinned. There was a little green worm-type creature. inching around on the petal of one of the bright blue flowers. "Hey," he reached over, letting the creature he'd seen crawl onto his hand. It crept across his fingers, turning around when it reached the end of his hand and crawling in circles. It was almost...serene.

He hadn't realized how long he'd been sitting, watching the silkworm, until Sadako called his name.

"Teo?"

He looked up. "Huh?"

"What's going on?"

"Oh, uh...hey, hold out your hand."

Reluctantly, she obeyed his request. He coaxed the silkworm onto her hand, her tensing up when it made contact. "What's that?" she asked, staring blankly at her hand.

Teo chuckled. "That's a silkworm. They make thread that people weave into fabric, like the robes you're wearing."

"Oh." she paused for a minute, and smiled softly "It tickles."

Teo laughed. "Yeah, it does."

Suddenly, there was a shout from behind them.

"Hey! What are you kids doing out here? It is not permitted for you to be outside of the grounds!"

Startled, Sadako flung the silkworm into the air, it landing on the helmet of the guard who had run towards them.

"Uh..." Teo's heart raced, and he struggled to think of something to say to the enraged man. "What?"

The man glared. "It is strictly forbidden for Sadako to be taken outside of the estate; surely you know that. Why should you defy such an order?"

Teo gulped, faking shock. "Wh-what?" he stammered, "Master B-bei Fong said n-n-nothing about such a rule, sir."

The man gripped the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Idiot..." he murmured to himself. He glanced back up. "Alright, I suppose that just this once I will let you off with a warning. But I swear, if you ever slip up like this again, you will be out of here quicker than you can 'hogmonkey'."

Teo nodded.

"Now get back in the house!" The guard bellowed, pointing sharply at the door.

Nodding, Teo grabbed Sadako's arm and the two rushed back into the estate, bursting into laughter at their narrow escape.

Teo lay in bed that night, reminiscing about the day's events. It had been so much fun; it felt...right. Like this was something they did every day.

The melodious tones of the harp drifted down the hall and through the open door, and Teo thought about what Sadako had told him about the spirit who played it. It was almost humorous, the thought of an old legend like that, but he couldn't deny the fact that there was music coming from that end of the hall.

He thought of the conversation they'd been having before it had turned. Once again he remembered the date, and was almost shocked to realize that he hadn't thought about her for the rest of the day. Maybe he really was getting better, moving on. With a sad smile on his face, he began to drift off.

A sudden crash down the hall revitalized him, and he bolted upright in bed. He looked toward the hall just in time to see a small mouse-rat scuttle past his door.

Shaking his head, he lay back down and noticed the complete silence. He'd become so accustomed to Bei's music that it almost unnerved him, but nevertheless, he was exhausted, and quickly slipped into unconsiousness.

**I'm ba-ack :) Technically we got our computer back last week, but I had to try to find our old writing software disk so I could open my stuff :P **

**Let me know what you think! **

**Special shoutout to whoever can guess the name of the flowers surrouding the bench!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, since nobody guessed the flower from last chapter, it was a Forget Me Not **

**(Easter Egg!)**

"Hey Teo?" Sadako asked.

They'd been sitting on the bed in her room, the curtains drawn to block out the imperfect weather conditions outside. A downpour had forced them to cancel their usual routine of sneaking out, and by mid-afternoon it had reduced to a light shower.

"Yes?" Teo stretched his arms in front of him and turned. Because of Sadako's belief that everyone should be comfortable, he'd gotten into the habit of sitting up on the bed with her. ( He had to admit he_ did_ prefer it to his chair; he'd been thinking about making a cushion for the hard seated thing)

"Do you think we could paint today?"

Teo just blinked at her for a second. "Uh...sure, I guess."

It seemed different than the things they usually did- sometimes he'd read to her, they made up word games, etcetera; he usually avoided bringing up activities that required a field of vision- but she sounded content about it, so he decided to go with it. It wasn't like she'd requested they jump the Great Divide, or something irrational like that.

He slithered off the bed and into his chair. Teo wheeled over to the closed in the far right corner of the room. Digging through shelves of forgotten clothes and old toys, he finally emerged with a small stack of blank parchment, two brushes, and few sealed, colorful jars.

He put them all in his lap before returning to the bed. He placed her hand on the back of his chair. "Come on, let's go to the dining room; there's more space there."

Sadako nodded excitedly, and Teo led her out the door.

It was between meals, so the dining room was vacant. He dumped the art supplies onto the table after carefully making sure it was covered by a sheet he'd grabbed from a closed on the way down the corridor.

He arranged the paper in an orderly stack, with two pieces laid out for them in a spot where he'd cleared out a chair, with a jar of paint on the right side of each.

"Sadako," he called to where she was standing a few feet away, "everything's set up over here."

She walked over. Teo took both of her hands and moved them around the table.

"Here's the paper," he told her as he traced the perimeter with her hands. "And the paint," he clasped one hand around the jar while he dipped the other just far enough to find the opening without getting paint on her fingers. He let go of her hands.

"And here's -" He was about to hand her a brush when he suddenly paused, noticing that she was wearing a pastel yellow silk, long sleeved dress. "Er..."

His eyes shifted nervously from the pristine dress, to the scarlet paint. It was a hundred percent evident that the resulting mess would be disastrous, and would no doubt end in having to dispose of the delicate gown. An idea formed in his head.

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

Sadako nodded (did she ever do anything but obey?) and Teo sped off down the hall to his room.

Rifling through his wardrobe, he searched frantically for something old. He pulled out a somewhat grungy, long sleeved green undershirt, smiled, slammed the amore's doors, and hurried back to where Sadako was still waiting at the table.

"Here," Teo said, tapping her on the arm, "why don't you put this over your clothes first; I think you mother would have a fit if I let you get paint all over them.:

Sadako giggled. "I didn't even think of that!" She put up her arms. "It's a good thing you remembered."

Teo laughed while lining her arms up with the sleeves, and pulling the tunic over her head. "Well, I don't really need another thing for Misses Bei Fong to hold against me; she's already not what you'd call my 'number one fan'."

He tugged at the bottom of the shirt so that it straightened out. "There, that's better," he said. "Now, here's your brush."

Sadako immediately dipped the bristles into the paint and began drawing. Teo had the wooden point of the brush pressed into the corner of his mouth, staring at the blank sheet of parchment, debating what to draw. Racking his brain, he made a decision and chuckled to himself.

Teo quickly sketched an outline of the ring, adding stadium seats filled with faceless onlookers. He'd just added a sloped lump protruding from the ground when Sadako's voice drifted among the roaring crowds of the picture in his mind.

"Huh?" He asked, not hearing what she'd said.

"I said, 'what are you drawing?'" Sadako specified innocently.

Teo smiled. "Oh. I'm drawing Earth Rumble Three; my dad took me when I was about nine."

Sadako gave him a quizzical look. "What's 'Earth Rumble Three'?"

Teo's eyes widened, and he was suddenly filled with enthusiasm to be able to talk about his favorite sport.

"Earth Rumble is this competition that goes on at random dates and places a few times a year. Some of the best earthbenders in the world come and fight each other, one on one in an arena, and people who can get tickets sit on benches surrounding the ring and watch; some people even make money by making bets on who they think is gonna win, even though it's illegal." He flailed his hands around in front of him as he talked; a pointless gesture, but it was a force of habit. "And when you're watching, people with all sorts of carts go up and down the isles selling stuff- shirts with slogans like 'I survived the Rumble' or names of the competitors, novelty inkwells, cheap replicas of the championship belt, and food like popped weatcorn, cactus juice, and really sugary teas. It's a lot of fun to go to." He grinned.

"Where is it?" Sadako asked.

Teo laughed. "That's the neat part. There's an underground circuit all over the Earth Kingdom, so even though it's the same people, it can show up anywhere."

"It's always the same people?" Sadako scrunched her eyebrows. "How is that a competition?"

"It's more of an entertainment thing, really," Teo explained. "But a lot of times the fighters have something to prove after losing particularly badly or something, so it's always got a different outcome." Sadako nodded, and he went on. He wasn't used to being allowed to rand on about things like this.

"I'm a big fan of The Boulder myself, but there's a lot of other people too, like The Gecko, The Gopher, Fire Nation Man, who I really don't think is from the Fire Nation since he's an earthbender, Headhunter, The Hippo... Spirits, if it ever comes to Gaoling, we have to ask your father if we can go!"

Sadako grinned. "That sounds fun."

They kept talking about Earth Rumble for who knows how long, their paintings long forgotten. The only thing going through Teo's mind was that he was with his best friend again. They were at the Jasmine Dragon during one of Iroh' s children's crafts days, making plans to go to the arena and scream their heads off that weekend.

He glanced up and saw Toph, his tough friend in boy's clothing, the only difference being the absence of her headband, letting her long black hair flow freely down her back, surprisingly sleek for how she managed it.

As she flipped her head back in a laugh, a lock of hit jumped to her face, the black contrasting the pale white of her cheek. She tucked it behind her ear, her messy fingers slightly leaving a carmine smear on the hair.

All of a sudden, a force took over him, ordering him subconsciously to follow it's command. Deep down, he knew the force was his heart. He'd felt this way towards her for as long as he could remember. But he'd always held back.

For so long; too long; he'd held back, hadn't done a thing about it. He'd watched her from a close distance, always yearning for what would be, but never acting. Now was his chance. He knew he'd be risking his entire life on what he was about to do, but he had to try. He had to finally know what it would feel like. He had to know...he had to... he...he had...he...  
Years of desperation filled him with courage, and ever so slowly, he leaned forward. To his surprise, she did the same. His heart pounding as though at any second it would hop right out of his mouth, he kept the lead and closed his eyes as their lips softly made contact.

It was the lightest amount of pressure to still be touching, but it was as if one of his father's experiments with "electricity" had backfired on him...in a good way. It was a thousand times more wonderful than he'd ever dreamed it would be.

The kiss lingered for only a moment. With an uncharacteristically light and airy gasp, Toph pulled back. Teo blinked his eyes open, and his stomach turned to ice.

Standing before him wasn't Toph. He was sitting with his face just mere inches away from a very pink Sadako Bei Fong.

All words escaped him, and he sat dumbly with his mouth hanging open until he attempted to regain control of his throat.

"Er...ah...guh..." Teo stumbled, trying to recall how to form a sentence, and still recovering from the shock.

Both had completely backed away from one another by this point. Teo had a hand resting at the back of his neck, awkwardly trying to think of a way to change the subject so he could avoid an explanation. He looked over to see Sadako mindlessly scribbling back on her paper; he noticed she'd brushed her hair over her face, shielding her completely from his view like a long curtain.

He felt terrible; he'd used her. He'd gotten lost in his past; caught up in his own mind; and he'd toyed beyond humanely with her mind and emotions. He felt like complete scum. He couldn't be more guilty...

"Listen, Sadako, about the kiss...-"

He was stopped abruptly by Sadako's hand being thrust in his face.

"Stop. Just...stop. It never happened, okay?" She glared up at him. There was an undertone to her voice that was extremely difficult to read. The top layer was hard and commanding, but beneath it was a combination of sarcasm, hurt, and irritability.

Teo gulped and nodded. He forced a smile, and trued to put some pep into his voice.

"Never happened; got it." He tried to have a go at a laugh, but mentally buried himself; he sounded just like Sokka.

"So..." He looked around and saw her paper - a diversion. "What'cha drawing?"

"Squiggles." She moved her arm and sat up, pulling her hair off the table, fully revealing her "squiggles".

Has Teo looked closer, he thought that it might resemble some kind of upside down building...

He heard a loud servant poke his head out of the kitchen and down the hall, shouting "Dinner! Ten minutes!"

Another servant, who Teo recognized as the man in white from his first day - had Utako been fired? - came into the room. He took one look at the two of them, then the mess on the table, and swore under his breath.

He went back into the kitchen and returned seconds later with a small box. He marched straight over to them, held the box at the table's edge, and dumped everything they'd been using into it with one sweep up his arm.

"Stupid kids..." he muttered, noticing the crimson and chartreuse stains now boldly displayed on his once-white sleeve.

Sadako smiled. "Sorry, Misante."

Misante simply glowered back at her. "You," he said, pointing at her, "get ready for dinner."

Sadako's brows arched. "Oh, right!"

She reached her hands down to her waist, and tugged the smeared tunic over her head. She tossed it in Teo's general direction, although it missed him by several feet. "Thanks for letting me use it." She smiled sweetly.

Teo shook his head and grinned as he wheeled over to pick it up.

"No problem."

Dinner was uncomfortably quiet, but that was no new story. Teo was just grateful that Lao didn't ask what they'd done today.

The awkwardness between Teo and Sadako seemed to evaporate shortly after it had arrived. As he walked her to her room that night, they joked about what they were going to do the next day; Teo was careful not to mention Earth Rumble again.

They arrived at the door, and the night guard took Sadako's arm and ushered her into the room.

Teo grinned. "See you tomorrow, Sadako.,"

Sadako turned her head around to face him, smirking. "Whatever, Shorty." She scrunched up her face with her tongue sticking out before turning to prepare for bed.

Teo opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The guard closed the door and signaled for him to leave, but he sat for a moment paralyzed with shock.

The guard glared more sternly, and he forced himself back down the hall, his arms like liquid. He was virtually automated as he closed his own door and changed for sleep; before he knew it, he was in bed staring blankly at the ceiling. He was still numb.

The silence of the night frustrated him further, as he'd come to find the soothing melody of Bei's harp helpful with organizing his thoughts.

It had to be a coincidence; it had to be. He'd told himself a million times that this girl was Sadako, not some long gone girl form his past. His slip-up in mistaking the two earlier already could have nearly cost him his position if Master Bei Fong had caught wind of it.

Or even worse: what if he _had_ imagined it? What if he'd slipped into another daydream, another that merged itself with reality? That was probably the worst case-scenario. If it were true, he'd have to start fearing for his state of mental being.

He took a deep breath, and decided to just follow Sadako's lead from earlier.

"It never happened..."

**Wow, haven't updated in forever! So sorry, here's an extra long chapter to make up for it! Love you guys to death for putting up with me!**


	12. Chapter 12

Teo woke once again to the patter of rain the following morning. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, looking over at the candle beside his bed to check the time. It was just a few minutes before he usually got up.

Stifling another yawn, he pulled back the covers and slid into his chair, and decided to use this opportunity to spend a few extra minutes washing up in the washroom down the hall.

The house was still quiet and dark as he gathered his things from his drawers and made his way down the hall, and past the noble's quarters. He could hear Master Bei Fong beginning to stir, but he knew that he wouldn't be rousing for about ten minutes more.

There was a slight chill as he closed the washroom door, and he noticed that a window was open, letting in the moist dawn breeze. He turned on the sink, and splashed warm water on his face, waking him up a bit more.

All of the shock and anxiety from the night before had worn off; yesterday seemed more of a vague memory, like something that happened long ago. A good night's sleep had helped him clear his head.

Teo leaned into the mirror to brush his teeth, and chuckled at his reflection; he was always overreacting to things.

He pulled off his nightshirt, tossing it into the clothes bin by the door. Feeling the cold air bite at his skin, he scrambled into a fresh tunic that he'd set on the counter, warming himself immediately.

He heard the rest of the family starting to move about, so he quickly grabbed a comb off of the counter and yanked it through his tangled hair, which, he noticed, was in need of a trim, and started down the hall to get Sadako for breakfast.

The night guard was already dismissed for the day when he went back down the hall to Sadako's room. Teo knocked on the door.

"Come in, Teo," Sadako called from inside.

Teo grinned and pulled open the door. "How'd ya know it was me?"

Sadako shrugged. "I 'dunno. Guess it's about the time you usually get here."

She was sitting on the floor with her knees folded underneath her, scraping her pointer finger across the carpet and leaving mindless trails around her.

Teo wheeled over. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yup." Sadako stood up and stretched her legs before walking towards the door, pausing to wait for him with her hand on the gold knob.

Teo was slightly taken aback by her confidence. "Um...come on, let's go then." He exited the door in front of her, and she gingerly rested her hand on the back of his chair. He kept glancing back to be sure she was still following him on the way down; she seemed to have memorized the way to the dining room herself.

Poppy had gone out to a social event with a few other society women, and Lao was conducting business out of town, so it was just the two of them for breakfast. The dreary day had inspired the kitchen staff to make a most boring meal of jook and toast. He saw Sadako crinkle her nose before forcing down a mouthful, and he followed in suit.

It wasn't terrible; honestly, he was glad as the thick liquid heated up his core as it slid down his throat. When the last of it had been finished, Sadako scraped her chair back and beckoned for him to come over. He obediently circled the table.

"We should go outside," Sadako whispered with a conspiring grin.

Teo laughed. "Sadako, it's raining!"

She smirked. "So?"

"We'll get soaked!" HE took a look at her lavender dress with embroidered white lilies. "It's hard enough to sneak back in when it's dry; if we're sopping wet, every person in the estate would see the puddle trail."

An innocently mischievous glint flashed across her pale eyes. "What's fun without a little risk?"

Teo sighed. "Sadako...no. We can't cause any trouble; your father would have me killed _personally_."

Sadako gave a curt laugh. "Fine, we won't do anything... but you didn't seem to have that attitude _last_ week."

Teo shot her a quizzical look. "What happened last week?" he asked slowly, drawing out the words.

She grinned. "Oh, playing 'Mr. Innocent' now, huh? We snuck into town and you crashed your glider into some salesman's stand!" She laughed. "We had to high-tail it out of there before the cops showed up; don't you remember?"

Teo gaped at her, shaking his head. "No...Sadako, that never happened."

Sadako turned back to him, confused expression evident on her face. "Really?" Teo nodded.

She brought a hand up to her mouth. "Hm... maybe I dreamt it," she shrugged.

"Yeah...maybe..." Teo muttered. He watched her get up and the two left for her room.

He slightly gaped at her for the majority of the morning. He'd only partially told the truth earlier. That hadn't happened...last week. Or to Sadako. But he remembered that day; it was with Toph.

Once again, he shook it off. She did say she'd dreamt it...

Sadako didn't bring up the "dream" again for the rest of the day, so he figured; or rather, hoped; it had been forgotten.

Their options for entertainment limited, Teo spent most of the day reading to her out of adventure novels that he'd brought with him from home. She was surprisingly interested in the mishaps of Sogyo, a young hero from a small village on the edge of the Earth Kingdom.

Around the afternoon, the storm outside began to flare. It went on unquavering throughout the afternoon, and into the evening. On the way to dinner, Teo would hear the wind howling outside.

"How was your day, Sweetheart?" Master Bei Fong asked about halfway through dinner, breaking the usual near silence.

Sadako giggled. "Pretty good; I had the _weirdest_ dream last night though."

Lao smiled compassionately. "Really," he toyed.

Sadako nodded between mouthfuls of her porket stew. She swallowed. "I thought it actually happened, too. Right, Teo?"

Teo vigorously nodded and focused his attention on his bowl.

Lao chuckled. "Oh, and what was this dream about, exactly?" He asked.

Sadako's eyes lit up. "Me and Teo were in town, and he crashed his glider into this vegetable merchant's cart. Then the weird guy there started yelling, and these big people showed up and started chasing us. We ran into this alleyway and waited for them to pass, then we went into this fancy-like teashop and told this old man and some other people about it and they all started laughing...and I don't really remember anything else." She grinned, while across the table, Teo tensed up. "It was funny."

Lao's face suddenly fell. "Are you sure that's what you remember?" He inquired, the playful tone in his voice replaced by a grave undertone of demand, silencing the table completely.

His daughter nodded, but her expression too had changed from pure amusement to unconfident seclusion. It was obvious that Lao's reaction had plummeted the atmosphere of the entire room.

"I see..." he pondered.

A strong gust of wind outside pounded a wall of rain against the wall, the only sound in the somber dining hall until the sudden metallic clink of Poppy setting her silverware over her bowl.

"Oh my, look at the time," she said in an overly-syrupy voice, her cheeks strained in a forced smile. "You kids really should be getting off to bed."

It took just one look at her hard eyes, wrinkled at the corners from the effort of sustaining the fake enthusiasm, for Teo to register that this was not a request.

He tapped Sadako on the arm next to him. "Come on, I'll take you to bed."

He turned to the end of the table and half-bowed to the nobles. "Good evening, Master and Misses Bei Fong; pleasant dreams to you both."

Sadako turned as well. "Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Father."

Her parents simply nodded, and the two left the hall.

"Goodnight, Sadako," Teo said as he dropped her back at her room.

"'Night."

The guard closed her door, glaring down at Teo.

"I know, I know," he said, "'move along'." The guard continued to glare, and he went back down the hall to his own room for bed.

He lay listening to the rain pelt the windows, thunder now booming as the storm raged along. Every so often, the room would go alight as a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky. Although he wasn't quite sure, he occasionally thought he could hear Bei's melody weave it's way into the roars and screams of the storm.

A particularly bright flash illuminated the room, followed by a crack and roll of thunder loud enough to cause the estate to shake, making it evident that it had struck somewhere nearby the town. Still listening to the white noise of the storm, Teo thoughtlessly drifted off.

**Reviews make the world go 'round, peoples!**


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, and for days after, Sadako claimed to have no recollection of the dream. Perhaps she'd forgotten it, Teo thought, or rather hoped. He would have feared the entire day had been another figment of his imagination had not the air of the estate still not released its tension after Master Bei Fong's harsh reaction at dinner.

Teo noted how Lao even more scarcely seemed to join the family for meals over the next following weeks. Wealthy, business-looking men were constantly walking in and out the doors of the estate; the entry to Lao's office always shut. Whenever Teo went past it, he could just barely detect that although in total seclusion, all of the men spoke in hushed whispers during these constant meetings.

One morning as Teo went to pick Sadako up for breakfast, he was surprised to see her door wide open. Silence drifted out of the sleeping chamber. He wheeled through the open entrance to find her curtains drawn; bed perfectly made, the usual imprint of her seat in the middle absent, and no Sadako to be seen.

Panic instilled in him. Gone…she was gone… No, she couldn't be; the night guard would never allow for her to be taken like that. There was no need to do anything irrational; he had to be overreacting. She was probably in the restroom, or something along those lines.

Glancing down the hall, he saw that Misses Bei Fong's door was also open. He took a moment to resolve the argument within himself. Poppy Bei Fong was the last person he'd like to engage in conversation in general, let alone ask about the whereabouts of her daughter… He sighed and resisted the urge to shudder; he had to figure out where Sadako had gone, and Poppy was his only available option.

His breathing still rapid with nerves, he approached the open door.

Making his way inside, he let out a sigh of relief. Poppy Bei Fong was sitting on her bed, Sadako's much hair gathered in her hands as she twisted and braided it into an elaborate updo for her daughter, sitting in a small chair in front of her. Breaking her attention from the raven cascade, Poppy turned her narrowed eyes on Teo.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"I was looking for Sadako, ma'am. She wasn't in her room." He replied informatively.

Misses Bei Fong huffed. "Well, as you can clearly see, she is right here, perfectly safe. Now, if you would ever so gratefully have the digni-"

"What's that?" Teo's attention was drawn to an open drawer on Poppy's bedside table, where the sun reflected off a small object within, focusing the light into a blinding ray, immediately calling Teo to look. HE leaned closer and saw part of the source; he could make out a thin, black, metallic, plain piece of jewelry, possible a bracelet; he couldn't tell for sure, for the front of the drawer was blocking the rest from view.

Before he could get a better look, the drawer suddenly slammed shut. Shaking out of his trance, he followed the hand on the dresser handle, up the arm to which it was connected, until his gaze met the hawklike glare of Misses Bei Fong; the realization hit him that he'd just interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"As I was saying," she continued mordantly, "Sadako is very busy with an important business matter today. You will not be near her while she meets the young man."

Teo put up a finger in mild protest. "Who? I thought nobody was supposed to know that-"

"Enough!" Poppy cut him off. "She is meeting someone who will play a vitally important role in the rest of her life, and we cannot afford to have any disruptions. You are dismissed from duty for the day."

Teo sat processing this for a moment. He looked over at Sadako. She was wearing a gown of a bright spring green with gold embroidery at the edges, her face painstakingly made up, and an emerald strung in gold around her neck. He hadn't noticed how elaborately she'd been dressed until now.

Poppy shot him a cold stare, this time pointing her free hand to the door. He quickly obeyed.

Once out in the hallway, Teo wasn't sure what to do. He ate he breakfast alone, and contemplated his impromptu day off. Should he read in the courtyard? See if anybody needed help around the estate? He wasn't used to having this much free range.

He really should write to his father, he decided. It had been a while since he last wrote, and Teo figured he might begin to worry after such a long period without contacting him. His mind made up, he opened the drapes in his room and pulled out a sheet of parchment.

When he finished, he rolled it up and tied it with a piece of string and realized that he would have to fly into town in order to send it in the post. Teo paused for a second; he wasn't sure whether he was permitted to leave the grounds.

He decided it would just be best to ask Master Bei Fong for permission first; he didn't want to take any chances and cause unwanted trouble. He tucked the letter into his tunic and started down the corridor.

Approaching the office, Teo saw that Lao was already in the hall speaking with Shunsui. Upon noticing his approach, he shook the man off with a flick of the wrist.

"Ah, Teo. How convenient; I was just about to summon for you." There was an unusual undertone to his voice that made Teo's nerves stand on edge.

He gulped. "Me, sir?" Lao nodded. "W-why?"

Lao sighed. "There is an important matter we need to discuss. Come inside my office, please."

Teo nodded and followed him in. Lao took a seat at his large desk in the middle of the room, and Teo parked his chair opposite him.

"Teo," Lao began, "as I'm sure you already know, my daughter will be reaching the age of sixteen very shortly." He paused, and Teo nodded. "IT is a custom in noble clans that when a girl reaches this age of adulthood, she is to be married.

"For the last month, I've been meeting the parents of and evaluating suitors from all throughout the Earth Kingdom." He paused for a breath. "It was a long and difficult process, but Poppy and I have finally decided on a boy named Adesh, the son of the wealthy Chaw Hsu family in Makapu. What I'm saying, Teo, is that soon your services will no longer be necessary."

Teo gaped; he didn't know how to respond. He finally just said the first thing that came into his mind. "…how long do I have?"

Lao smiled sadly at him. "You will be asked to leave in about three days' time."

Teo stared off into space for a minute, letting the shock of the news sink in. After ages in silence, he bowed his head as he did upon arrival to the estate. "Thank you. It has been an honor to be in your home."

Without another word, he left to begin packing his things.

He felt hollow, numb. The stability he'd managed to achieve while working in the estate had just been swept out from under him. In less than a week, he'd be back at the Temple, supported again by his father, everything he'd fled to forget returning.

Teo felt as though he were watching himself from a distance; he could see his arms and hands folding his clothing and tucking it neatly away in his trunk, but he could not feel it happening. Could not feel the warm breeze drifting in through his open window; the songs of the birds outside sounding distant and faded.

He had to admit that throughout his time at the estate, he'd grown rather attached to Sadako. He tried to be happy about her engagement, but inside he knew that he'd be losing a good friend due to it. He wonder how and when, if possible, he'd say goodbye.

Bending slightly to open his nightstand drawer, he felt something stiff scratch his chest. Reaching into his tunic, Teo pulled out the forgotten letter to his father from just hours before. He undid the string and held it out in front of him.

_Dear Dad,_

_Everything is going well here in Gaoling. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but I've been busy looking after Sadako, as usual, and it slipped my mind. The Bei Fongs are still providing me with all of my essentials, so there's no need for you to send money as you suggested last time. Love you._

_ Your Son, Teo_

_ P.S. How are things at the Temple going?_

Teo scoffed and crumpled up the letter, tossing it into the corner of the room. He'd find out soon enough, he thought bitterly.

Continuing to clear out the drawer, his spirits even lower, he tossed his remaining belongings haphazardly into the trunk, still lying open on his bed. He felt around the drawer one last time, and was surprised when in the far left corner of the drawer, his fingers came across something small and soft. HE pulled it out for closer examination.

It was a small white pouf, fitting just in the palm of his hand. He pondered for a moment, then clutched it in his fist, heart yearning, before chucking it into the trunk with everything else.

He clicked the trunk shut and dragged it over by the door, next to his glider. If he needed anything in the next few days, it would be right there.

Teo lay in his room for the remainder of the day, thinking about how it would feel going back to the temple again after so long of being on his own, so to speak.

By dusk, he could vaguely feel his stomach rumble, but didn't have the heart to go down to the kitchen. He'd already skipped two meals, why bother going down for a snack? Besides, the last thing he wanted right now as for Nobue to blow off at him.

He turned over onto his side on his bed, watching the last of the sun's rays fade over the purple horizon through the window. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

**Third chapter this week? I'm on a roll! Review please, tell me what you think :)**

**(And if you have any predictions, message me. I won't be able to tell you what's going to happen, but I'd love to hear what you guys think will)  
**


	14. Chapter 14

"Whatever you choose, thank you." Sadako replied quietly, and Iroh smiled and wrote down her selection before returning to the kitchen. Aside from her and Teo, the Jasmine Dragon was completely empty, quite unusual for the time of day.

Teo grabbed a piece of candy from the bowl in the center of the table. When he popped it into his mouth, everything began to spin; it felt as if he were falling at an impossible speed.

He hit the ground with a soft thud, now in the den of the Bei Fong estate. The candy bowl was still in front of him, on the short table in front of the white satin couch. On the opposite side of him, sitting on said couch, was Toph, her feet propped up on the end table

"Look, I don't care what you say, I'm gonna figure out how to wreck that sword!" She laughed. Teo shook his head.

"Even if you do figure out how to bend it from a distance, he'd kill you if you broke it."

"Pft!" Toph exclaimed. " Me? I think not. I'm invincible!" She yelled with a cackle. All of a sudden, still laughing maniacally, she began sinking into the couch before Teo's very eyes, disappearing completely into some kind of black hole between the cushions after a few moments. Teo pushed off of his chair and dove in after her.

The world shifted again. He awoke in a cold sweat, whipping his head frantically around the room, trying to determine his surroundings this time. In the darkness of night, he could make out the outline of his glider leaning against the door; blinking, he registered that he was in his room. He covered his face with his hands; it was only a dream.

He suddenly realized that he really, _really _needed to use the restroom. Teo knew that he'd have to go all the way down the hall, past the noble's quarters – and Sadako's room, which was completely forbidden, if he remembered correctly - in order to get there. He thought this over for quite some time, before finally just deciding to risk it.

He pulled back the covers and slid into his chair, having to feel for its location in the black. He wheeled over to his door and opened it, hearing that Bei's tune was still playing at the impossibly late hour.

Teo ventured into the hall and saw that the sound was emanating from an open door, which he recognized as the door to Sadako's room.

He shook his head and started off down the hall, not letting himself be discouraged by a folklore spirit; who was Bei going to tell that he was breaking the estate law? Hei Bai? He was as quiet as he could possibly be in contrary; the last thing he needed was to wake the rest of the family.

As he neared Sadako's door, he thought he heard the murmur of a man's voice coming from within. He slowed down as he passed, straining his ears to hear what he was saying better.

"My name is Sadako Bei Fong," said the deep voice. Teo heard Sadako's light chime echo him. Teo wheeled closer and poked his head inside of the room, curiosity overcoming him. What he saw made his jaw drop.

There were the dark silhouettes of two large men in Sadako's palely-silver, illuminated sleeping chamber, each wearing a large, serving-bowl like helmet and dressed in dark, forest green robes. One man was sitting in a chair next to her bed, playing the recognizable tune on a small golden harp that was sitting in his lap, the light from the moon reflecting off of the frame, adding a brighter glint to the eerie atmosphere. The second man was standing, on the opposite side of the bed, near the foot, whose drapes were open to reveal the small girl sleeping within, looking almost like a corpse in the faint glow. The man was looking down at her, saying seemingly random phrases to her.

"I am the perfect noble young lady, daughter of the wonderful Bei Fong family."

"I am the perfect noble young lady, daughter of the wonderful Bei Fong family." Sadako appeared to be in a near-comatose sleep, responding only to the sound of the man's voice to repeat his command, uninfluenced by the activity going on in the outside world. She did not open her eyes, wake, or even stir the slightest bit as Teo watched.

"I am obedient. I do as I am told, do not speak unless spoken to, and uphold the noble Bei Fong name."

"I am obedient. I do as I am told, do not speak unless spoken to, and uphold the noble Bei Fong name." Her voice was in total monotony, almost appearing unnatural.

"I am very pleased to spend my future with Mister Chaw Hsu," said the man.

"I am very pleased to spend my future with Mister Chaw Hsu," Sadako echoed.

Teo watched with undying interest. The scene was so unusual; nearly disturbing, in a way. He squinted to get a closer look at the man, he recognized the uniform he was wearing. It was that of the Dai Li; the old Dai Li, before they had been replaced and the uniforms changed.

"I am an innocent young girl. I am fragile, and appreciate those who watch over me, for I owe them my safety." The agent chanted.

"I am an innocent young girl. I am fragile, and appreciate those who watch over me, for I owe them my safety."

The man sighed. "I did not have any part in the war."

"I did not have any part in the war."

"I have never left the estate."

"I have never left the estate," she echoed again.

"I am peaceful and polite."

"I am peaceful and polite."

"I…"

Teo droned out. This seemed familiar somehow…he searched his brain for a couple of minutes, thinking hard about what it reminded him of, when he remembered something Aang had told him about the gaang's time in the Earth Kingdom, back during the war. He'd said that the Dai Li had used a hypnotic light to put these "Joo Dee" people under this thing like a spell. They all stood in rows and columns while the main agent chanted commands, the Joo Dees repeating him, all in unison. It was something they used as a way to plant words and ideas into their heads; a form of brainwashing to control the citizens of the Ba Sing Se. They would do it whenever anyone stepped out of line within the city to re instill order, and he people were totally changed by its effects.

That was exactly what this seemed like. The only thing was…the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se had used a lamp; these men were using… it suddenly hit him. Sadako was blind; they wouldn't be able to reach her with the light, so they were using a form of audial hypnosis.

As silently as he could, Teo fled back down the hall to his room, confused, and previous issue forgotten entirely, confused.

He went back to bed and lay awake, thinking. The theory made sense, but why would they need to brainwash Sadako? She was so mild mannered and well behaved; he couldn't imagine why…

Unless that personality was a complete fake, created _by_ the brainwashing methods. What if in reality she was the exact opposite? He knew it seemed far-fetched, but it all began to make sense as he put together the pieces.

He remembered back to his first day, when Misante had stumbled on her name while telling him about the Bei Fongs' daughter. He'd almost slipped up, and Utako had elbowed him to keep him quiet.

Lao had said that she'd ran away several years ago; he traced back the dates, and knew that was around the time the was ending; and he'd mentioned that Sadako had returned about a year and a half ago…around the time _she_ left…

And what about last month? Teo realized that all of those little things that he'd brushed off, like Sadako knowing _their _joke, not needing assistance with getting around, and somehow having a "dream" that was exactly parallel to a memory of hers, had happened when the music hadn't played; when the effects of the brainwashing had begun to wear off. And add in that they were almost identical physically…

They weren't all just coincidences, connected by his agony of missing her. The only real coincidence was that she hadn't begun to surface until later in the day, after the kiss…then again, maybe the discussion about Earth Rumble, which was a deep passion of hers to compete in, had triggered something in the far recesses of her mind.

Teo's blood ran cold. Sadako was really Toph…and he was about to lose her all over again, this time for good.

**Oh my Spirits, FOUR chapters in one week? Sure, it's a little short, but that's okay...right? **

**What do you guys think? Reviews are so greatly appreciated!**

**Love you guys! **


	15. Chapter 15

Teo didn't sleep at all that night. Well, he might have, but he was almost positive that he didn't. He spent the whole night staring off into space, unable to think, to feel. The shock of Sadako being Toph, the conspiracy of the brainwashing, everything he'd found out…for some reason, it rested only on the surface of his mind, unable to fully sink in until he saw the first crack of golden-pink dawn spread across the dark sky.

Even then, Teo didn't know what to do. Quite frankly, he didn't thing there was anything he _could_ do; he was leaving the next day for good, and was currently forbidden to have any interaction with "Sadako", for fear of disrupting the plans to take place between her and Adesh.

Adesh…the thought of him made Teo practically writhe with anger. His Toph… forcibly engaged to some rich pretty-boy, and mindlessly thinking she wanted it…thinking she would love him. Being married off, living the rest of her life as a complete lie; 'fall in love' from the hypnosis, settle down in a quiet little suburb, maybe have a couple of kids later on down the way, be the perfect little society woman…it made Teo sick.

And although he knew it shouldn't, almost half of that sickness was caused by selfish jealousy. He couldn't stand the thought of her fall in love with somebody else. He knew that it could never really happen; Toph just wasn't the mushy type. Plus it wasn't much more likely she'd ever feel for _him_ in return.

In fact, she wouldn't. She never would, because she would never be _Toph_ again. There was nothing he could do about it.

He squinted his heavy eyes against the now fully rising sun in the sky. Normally it would be time to go down for breakfast, but, despite not having eaten since this time the previous day, he'd lost any appetite. So, he continued to lay in bed, gazing out the window and silently mourning.

Before he knew it, he would already hear the call echoing for lunch. He still wasn't hungry, but he figured that starvation and malnutrition wouldn't combine too well with during his long flight home, and if he didn't eat something soon, they would certainly begin to take effect.

He half dragged himself out of bed and into his chair. Arms like lead, he made his way over and opened the door.

Teo'd barely made it out into the hall before he saw a furious Wakaki leave his post at Sadako's door and come charging towards him. Teo simply blinked as Wakaki clamored to a stop in front of him, red-faced and fuming.

"Yes?" Teo offered.

Wakaki pursed his mouth. "You…" he forced through clenched teeth. "Where have you been all day? You should have been on post _seven hours_ ago!" Wakaki roared at him.

Teo was stunned. "But…I thought…"

"What? _What_ did you think? Go get to your post!" Wakaki shouted.

"But-"

"Now!"

Teo gave a stunted nod and sped off down the hallway, away from Wakaki and towards "Sadako's " room. He thought that he was fired…wait a second. Lao had said he would be _asked to leave_ in three days' time; he'd never mentioned being relieved of duty. Teo palmed himself in the face; how could he be so clueless! Maybe...just maybe…he had a chance to do something, save her. He had no idea how, but now that he had the opportunity, he had to figure it out.

When he pulled up to her room, she was sitting on her bed, swinging her feet off the side, gazing blankly at the right wall. Her long hair was fanned out on the bed behind her like a black waterfall pouring into a midnight lake, a small silver tiara perched atop her head, and she was wearing a pale pink dress which, Teo noticed, seemed to match the room. He was pained by the sight; this wasn't her.

"Um…hey, Sadako." It felt almost unnatural to call her that now; he nearly had to force the name off of his tongue. He hoped that it hadn't sounded to strained.

'Sadako' turned in his direction and smiled. "Hello, Teo." She giggled. "You seem a bit late today, don't you?"

Teo cringed; this _just wasn't her._

"Overslept," he quickly lied. "So…ready for lunch?"

"Yes," she nodded. She slid off of her bed and stood, waiting for him to come. Sighing, Teo went over and put her hand on his chair to guide her. He shouldn't have to do this...

"Well, let's go then."

He was quiet on the way down to the dining room, lost in thought. How could he get Toph to resurface? Teo supposed he would just have to try whatever came to his mind, and pray that something along the way worked. First on his idea list, the thing he figured brought her back the last time: bringing up the topic of Earth Rumble.

His plan was to bring it up while they were eating lunch, but as soon as they entered the dining room, he immediately realized that it wouldn't be possible, with servants nonchalantly positioned throughout the room, undoubtedly listening to every word they said; obviously Lao had increased security, trying to insure "Sadako" remained Sadako.

Lunch was eaten in silence. Teo was afraid that if he'd said anything, it might slip that he'd uncovered the conspiracy, and the servants would immediately report back to Lao, who would have him out of the estate instantly. So, he didn't say a word.

'Sadako' seemed fine with the absence of conversation. She sat eating her soup, perfectly content in her own little world. Toph would never have put up with any situation being so quiet.

When they'd finished eating and returned to Sadako's room, Teo noticed that the hall was, along with her room, empty. No guards or spies listening in, nobody to tattle on him to Lao if he tried to unlock the reservoir in the back of Sadako's mind containing Toph.

He closed her bedroom door behind them, carefully making sure it clicked shut, just in case. 'Sadako' had taken her usual spot on the bed, and pat the spot next to her for him to join. Teo quickly wheeled over and removed himself from his chair; it would be best to try keeping some things as normal to 'Sadako' as possible, so he wouldn't damage her while trying to extract the _real_ her from the back of her mind.

Now was his shot. Time to bring up their previous conversation…

Teo faked a laugh. "Yeah, if Earth Rumble ever comes to Gaoling, we need to get tickets."

'Sadako' cocked her head. "That could be interesting, I suppose," she said uninterestedly.

Darn, it hadn't worked. Teo decided to turn it up a little, and try to get Toph riled up a bit in hopes of her bursting through, if only just to retaliate.

"If we do, I hope The Boulder wins; he's gotta be the best in the ring!" He looked over expectantly, only to be disappointed. Sadako had simply produced a conforming smile.

"Hopefully he does; he sounds neat," she replied casually.

Teo grit his teeth; it still wasn't working. He had to dig deeper.

"I even heard that Aang might enter one of these days; there's no way The Blind Bandit would stand a chance against him." He paused, waiting for a response that didn't come. "You know, there really isn't a place for a little thing like that to even be competing in a battle. " Teo automatically leaned back- he knew he was pushing it, so _seriously_ pushing it- and braced himself for the impact of her fist. But, it never came.

"Avatar Aang?" She asked. "That would be a bit of an unfair advantage, don't you think?" Sadako pondered.

"Yeah…" Teo muttered. _Come on, dig deeper!_ He thought.

He forced another laugh. "Maybe Sokka should just come up and throw something at her; there's nothing a little blind girl like that could do in the heat of battle to defend herself. It's too dangerous in combat, especially against full grown men."

He looked over to see Sadako just nod her head in agreement. Come on, why wasn't this working? For Spirits' sakes, he should be _dead_ by now for that comment! The back of Teo's neck began to sweat; what if he couldn't reach her in time? Maybe if he switched gears and referred to her directly, it might trip her up psychologically and get Toph to surface that way…

"You know what, Toph? I saw that we definitely need to go to Ba Sing Se's upper ring tomorrow and mess with those snooty shopkeepers again; it was hilarious when you sank that one into the floor for trying to kick us out last time!" He tried to fake another laugh, but it came out strangled, and slightly hysteric. His words were beginning to run together as well; his rising panic was becoming evident, and even Teo could tell that he sounded less than sane.

Sadako's reaction was nothing more than the quirk of an eyebrow and a slight frown. "Teo? Is everything alright?"

Teo snapped, shaking his head. "No, it's not. This isn't you!" He cried.

Sadako turned to face him with a look of utter concern. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything! This house, the frills, this personality! This isn't the girl I love! This isn't you!" Teo exclaimed. He was out of options, and now he was shamelessly resorting to beggary.

"I don't-"

"No! This isn't you! I know you're in there, Toph, you have to be! Just…listen to me!" He grabbed her hand, and saw that she was beginning to look frightened. "Please! You have to snap out of this, Toph! Get out here! Come on, please! You have to fight this; I know you can do it, Toph. I just want my best friend back…" Teo could feel his eyes begin to sting.

Sadako blinked profusely, and shot Teo a quizzically annoyed look. "What the heck are you freaking out about, Teo?"

The ever-present, biting undertone to her voice told Teo all he needed to hear. Without pausing to think, he enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Toph…you're back."

**Descent sized chapter, I suppose. Let me know what you think! Reviews make me happy!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Woah woah woah; get off me, you nut!" She yelled. She pushed him away, turning slightly red. Teo laughed. Yup, that was her alright; _hated_ being touched.

"Sorry," he grinned.

Toph shook her head. "What the heck are you doing here? I told you I'd be back in a couple weeks; you didn't have to follow me."

Teo glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"You followed me all the way to my parents' place! For Spirits' sakes, it's not like you couldn't find someone else to hang out with for a month."

Teo's mouth opened in awe. "You think that…Toph, when did you leave Ba Sing Se?" He asked.

Toph rolled her eyes. "I dunno, why don't _you_ tell _me_," she paused and, noticing Teo's lack in response, huffed. "Yesterday! What, your memory crapping out or something?"

"Um, Toph," Teo started slowly, "you've been gone for over a year."

She remained blank for a moment, before gradually shifting into a grin. "Ha! Good one, Shorty, but that's impossible. There's no way I could ever stand being stuck in _this_ place for that long; besides, don't you think I'd _remember_ being tortured like that?"

Teo buried his face in his hands, trying to figure out how to break the situation to her.

He cleared his throat. "That's the thing…you probably wouldn't remember it. You see, you've been brainwashed the whole time."

Toph thought for a minute. "Interesting story. Tell me more," she said sarcastically.

Teo shook his head. "Toph, I'm serious! Lao Bei Fong had the Dai Li use this type of audial hypnosis to brainwash you into thinking that you were his perfect daughter named Sadako." His voice remained solemn.

After a second of pondering, Toph's face turned cold. "I don't think he'd stoop that low…" she mumbled under her breath. She turned her face toward him inquiringly. "Do you have any proof?" She pressed, her tone more serious.

Teo nodded. "Well, what you're wearing, for one."

Toph's hand immediately went to her arm; she ran it up and down the fine-silk sleeve, a look of disgust crossing her unnaturally made up features. Her hands moved along her ensemble before stopping momentarily at her back, lifting up her hair. She combed the length of it with her fingers for a minute with a look of slight fascination, before her hand suddenly flew to the top of her head, noticing it's ornament.

"What the heck is this thing?"

She tore the tiara from her head and turned it in her fingers with a look of pure revulsion before chucking it into the corner of the room. It shattered as it made contact with the wall, tiny jewels raining down onto the floor like dew around it. "Yuck!" She exclaimed. "How long have I been wearing that prissy contraption?"

Teo chuckled. "Actually, that one's a first."

She glared at him suspiciously. "It had better be." She paused, thinking for a second.

"Okay, I believe you. So…how the heck did you find me, anyways?"

"Actually," Teo said, "it was really more like an accident." Toph raised an eyebrow at him in silent questioning.

He continued. "Well, I applied for a job at the Bei Fong estate as a servant, and ended up being like a day watchman for 'Sadako', a.k.a. you, for a few months. I thought Sadako looked a lot like you, but I figured…well, that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that the effects of the brainwashing were wearing off, and you started showing signs of being you again. Lao wouldn't have it, so he strengthened the methods, and was planning to get you out of the way; Toph, he set up an arranged marriage. You're engaged."

Toph's face contorted into an expression of sheer horror. "What!" She shrieked.

Teo covered her mouth. "Sh," he whispered, "we don't want anyone getting word that you're conscious."  
She pried his hand off of her mouth and slightly lowered her voice. "Why is it so important they don't find out? I say, tell them! Give them a run for their money." She slid off the bed, cringing in disgust as her feet came in contact with the plush carpet.

"No!" Teo yanked her back down. "I told you, we cant let them know what's going on!" He whispered harshly.

Reluctantly, Toph sat back down, arms crossed. "Fine," she huffed. "But I don't see why it's such a big deal."

Teo sighed. "It's too dangerous, even for you. You have no idea how seriously they can mess you up with their hypnosis again; and this time, they might make it so you can never resurface again."

"Whatever," Toph muttered, pouting slightly. Then her face was suddenly filled with interest. "So, you say I'm engaged, huh?" She asked curiously. "What kind of freak is he gonna try to stick me with?"

Teo suddenly felt foolish; of course she'd want to know that.

"Adesh Chaw Hsu, from Makapu. He's the son of this rich nobleman somewhere over by the edge of the Earth Kingdom."

Toph shuddered. "Great," she said sarcastically. "Society life."

Teo chuckled at shook his head. "Come on, you know there's no way I'd make you go through _that_."

Toph squinted her eyes. "So, what exactly is your plan for getting me out of here then?"

Teo rubbed the back of his head and looked down. He incoherently mumbled something, his face turning slightly red with embarrassment.

"What was that?" Toph asked curtly, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning in his direction.

Teo closed his eyes in defeat. "I…don't have one," he muttered.

Toph threw her hands up. "Well, that's just fantastic!" She exclaimed. "We'll just stay here for the rest of our lives."

"Actually," Teo winced, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

Toph's face flattened. "You're kidding."

Teo shook his head. "No."

Toph sighed. "Any chance you can bring me with?" She snorted.

"No…even if I could, you'd be Sadako again; the brainwashing takes place every night for the effect to maintain stability." Teo explained.

Toph shrugged. "Well, we'll just have to bust out of here tonight."

He buried his head in his hands again. "And just how do you presume we do that?"

"I dunno, think of something!" Toph yelled.

Teo pursed his lips for a moment. "Well, I do have this one idea…but it might not work, and it's kind of risky." He paused, suddenly smiling. "Then again, like you always say, what's fun without a little risk?"

"Well," Toph pressed, "let's hear it!"

"Okay," Teo started, "so I was thinking…"

Toph nodded. "Sounds good. But where are we going to get earplugs?" She asked.

Teo considered this for a moment, before suddenly putting a finger up. "Oh! I'll be right back."

He slid back into his chair and wheeled to the door. He first cracked it open to check that it was still empty, then quietly slipped back out into the hall. He sped down the corridor and into his room.

Teo threw his trunk onto the floor and flung it open. He rifled through it for a while before pulling out a small white object, smiling in satisfaction. He clutched the item in his fist as he spun around and raced back to the bedroom.

Closing the door again, he went up to Toph and folded the object in her hand. "Here, slip this into your robes; you can tear it in half and use it to block out the music tonight."

Toph kneaded it with her hand for a minute, trying to identify it. She shot Teo a bewildered look. "Teo, is this…-"

Teo put up his hands. "That doesn't matter right now. All that does is-" he froze, hearing the booming voice of the kitchen servant drift down the hall, summoning them for dinner. Teo shook his head. "Look, you know what to do, right?" Toph nodded. "Good; now let's go."

Almost miraculously, they made it through dinner unsuspectingly. Toph was a surprisingly good actress- she was quiet, mannerly, and delicate throughout the entire meal, not falling out of etiquette once. If Teo hadn't known, he would've never had a clue that she wasn't Sadako; maybe some of that personality was still stored in the back of Toph's mind.

When he dropped her back off at her room, she turned to Teo with a discreet wink before allowing Wakaki to take her arm and lead her in for the night.

Teo returned to his own room, preparing his half of the plan. Spirits, he hoped this worked out.

**Another chapter! This one is a bit short, I admit. But guess what duo was finally reunited? **

**Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging too long with the mission ;) That is, if you guys review...**


	17. Chapter 17

Teo sat listening intently by his door, waiting for Toph so start putting everything into action. Although it was quickly strewn together, everything rested on the success of this plan; he didn't think they could afford for it to fail.

Down the hall, Toph lay patiently in bed, pretending to be fast asleep. Muffled through the cotton embedded in her ears, she could vaguely hear the chime of a harp, accompanied by a deep, harsh voice; that must be the agent.

She took a deep breath, readying herself for what was to come. Toph continued to lay still, eyes closed, becoming anxious to strike.

After a few minutes, the music suddenly stopped. She heard the agent mumble something to the harpist, and the two hushedly conversed. When all seemed quiet, a small grin pulled at the corners of her lips, and she sprang up and out of the bed with one swift movement.

When her feet touched the floor, she could just barely sense their stunned expressions. She smirked, and put her concentration into willing the earth up and through the wooden floor. Even she was surprised by how quickly it complied, and almost immediately, she could hear the crack of the floor splintering as the ground from beneath it forced its way up and out.

Continuing its path, the stone pillar smashed into the chest of the first agent, pinning him against the wall, immobile. The second man threw down his harp and rushed to free his companion, sending the excess rubble flying at Toph.

Now both men were on alert, and armed, thanks to the gaping hole in the wooden barrier separating them from the earth. Toph quickly backtracked, realizing that she was equally matched. She evaluated the situation in seconds, noting the harp that was on the floor just feet away. Gold was a form of metal…

Before either agent had time to react, she split the harp in two, and contorted the halves into two thin, yet solid, gleaming ropes. She sent one flying at each agent, knocking them to the floor with two simultaneous thuds, the ropes spreading themselves over them.

She ran over and sat them up, back to back. She bended the ropes to tie them sturdily together, and hardened the gold in place. The agents struggled hopelessly against the solid bindings, causing her to laugh.

"Good luck with that, boys."

She cackled, and ran out the door into the hall.

As she ran down the hall, the earplugs fell out of her ears. Behind her, back in the room, she could hear the shouts of the agents echoing through the silent corridors. Her feet made no noise as they padded along the empty maze, the thick carpet muffling the vibration.

This also made it difficult to decipher the layout of the estate; at one point, she even had to stop and kneel down on all fours, trying to use her hands to help read the vibrations. Making a mental map of the labyrinth, she got back to her feet and continued running, trying to feel what door Teo had taken, and where he was waiting outside for her right now.

Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of her panting was joined by the shouts of servants, coming out of almost every doorway. She heard the threads of the carpet tear as she forced the earth up again, trapping the servants one by one between large stone slabs. She shook her head disgracefully as not a single one even attempted to fight back; this was too easy.

Toph continued running as if the disruption had never happened, still frantically searching for the right door. She could feel others following her, but she let them be; they weren't worth her energy, or time.

She rounded a corner and came to the door she was looking for; she could detect Teo sitting a few yards outside of it, just as planned. Before she had time to slow down, she realized that said door was shut tight. As an instantaneous reaction to keep from crashing, she flung her hands up, causing a barrage of rock to burst upward and through it.

Teo drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, glancing up at the star speckled sky nervously. Where was she? He hadn't thought the plan should take this long…

He was waiting outside in the side yard, where after about two hundred yards, the land dropped off, almost like a sort of cliff. He had his trunk strapped to the back of his chair, and his glider was hooked up on top.

The moon glowed nearly full above him, casting eerie shadows across the grounds. Come on, where was she? Did something go wrong? Did they fail; was she caught? Teo bit his lip, growing more apprehensive as all of the different possible scenarios passed through his head.

Suddenly he heard a deafening crash, and whipped his head around towards the door. Or, where the door used to be, anyways; a pillar of earth had crashed right through it, completely demolishing the heave wood, sending splinters raining down everywhere and unhinging whatever portion of the door remained, which soared several feet away before crashing into a birchoak tree.

He let out a sigh of relief as seconds later, Toph came charging out through the makeshift exit, heading straight towards him.

"Start kicking it in gear!" She yelled. Shouts could be heard from within the building, and she was soon followed by at least a dozen servants, emerging through the doorway after her. Teo recognized Utako and Misante amongst them, and felt a slight pang at the memories of his arrival, when they were the closest to what he could consider "friends" that he had here.

Teo took the hint and started wheeling the chair in the direction of the dropoff, trying to gain speed. Soon Toph was running alongside him.

"Come on, hop on!" He cried. Toph efficiently vaulted over the arm of the chair, landing straight in his lap. He saw her redden at the realization, but neither had much of a choice with the seating arrangement, and it would just be a waste of time to protest.

Her excess weight slowed the momentum of the chair, and a wave of panic surged through Teo as they neared the edge of the ground.

"Toph, we don't have enough speed; we're going to crash!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, for the love of…" Toph grunted. She shot them upward at an angle, and off the edge of the cliff, with a pillar of earth.

Once they were airborne, Teo felt the wind catch the undercarriage of the glider's wings, carrying them up and into the night sky, and leaving the darkened estate and yelling servants far below.

Toph clutched his shirt for dear life. A small gust of wind caused the rickety wooden chair to rock slightly, and Teo could feel himself blush as Toph buried her face in his chest, eyes pointlessly squeezed tight.

Teo grinned. "Not a fan of flying?" He joked.

"Shut up," she grumbled. Teo just laughed, and decided that sometimes, he wouldn't mind her being a little weak.

After twenty minutes or so, Toph had become more accustomed to her departure from the earth, and was allowing herself to relax slightly. "Hey," she grinned. "You'll never believe what I learned."

"I could never imagine," Teo said.

Toph smirked. "I can bend through non-earthen materials." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm the greatest earthbender in the world!" She bellowed, her voice ringing out across the velvet-black sky.

"Are you, now," Teo joked.

She laughed. "Shut it, Shorty."

"You know," Teo threatened playfully, "with that attitude, I might just have to push you off."

Toph scoffed, but he could see her tighten her grip on the arm of the chair, even if just a little. "Yeah right; you would not."

Teo raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He put a finger in the center of her back, applying just enough pressure to give her a small nudge.

Toph let out a terrified shriek and returned to his chest.

She pulled her face up and narrowed her eyes as Teo let out a chuckle. "I swear, if we were about a mile closer to the ground…" she muttered.

Teo laughed, and they continued flying through the night sky.

**Another shortish chapter, but whatever. **

**For those wondering, no this is not all. There's still more to come ;)  
**

**What do you guys think? Reviews are awesome!**


	18. Chapter 18

A small shadowed across Teo's lips as the sunrise began to turn the entire sky a glowing shade of pink. Toph was snoring softly, sleeping against his chest, worn out from her ordeal just hours before. Teo wished he could do the same; this would be his second night without sleep. But, unfortunately for him, the pilot couldn't doze off, so he settled for keeping a hand and watchful eye on Toph, making sure she didn't fall off the chair as she snoozed.

As the sun rose higher, turning the sky a brilliant cerulean, Teo could see the great city emerge in the distance. He lightly nudged Toph on the shoulder. "Hey," he said quietly, "wake up, sleepyhead."

"Hm, huh, wha, woah!" Toph woke with a start, jerking sharply, and Teo had to wrap his arm firmly around her to prevent her from rolling herself off. She clawed at his arm for a second, seeming dazed, before hanging her head grumpily. "Flying…right," she muttered.

Teo chuckled. "Don't worry, we're almost there. You don't have to be stuck up here _too_ much longer." He grinned mischievously, suddenly getting an idea.

"Uh oh," he said, trying to sound as worried as possible.

Toph whipped her head around frantically, tightening her death grip on his arm. "What, what's wrong?" She panicked.

"This!" Teo yelled, pulling the glider into a series of tight loops, pausing Toph to let out an earsplitting scream. Straightening their path back out, he started to laugh again.

Toph punched his arm. "Damn you! The second we get back on the ground, I'm going to make it so you'll need more than just that chair!" She shouted in rage, and Teo only laughed harder.

"Of course you will," he joked sarcastically. Toph let out a low growl, and he hurriedly dissimulated his amusement and focused his attentions on regaining control of the glider.

By the time they reached Ba Sing Se, the city was in its usual morning hustle. People were weaving about through the streets as they soared over the lower rings. They touched down in the upper ring, not far from the gaang's usual hangout.

The second the chair came to a stop, Toph flung herself off and sprawled out on the ground.

"Land! Sweet _land_!" She cried ecstatically.

"Well, looks like your torture is over," Teo said.

Toph straightened herself up and thought for a moment. "Actually," she pondered, "it wasn't that bad."

"So does that mean I'm permitted to live?" Teo asked.

"Eh, for now," Toph grinned.

Teo looked around, decided what to do next, when he heard Toph's stomach rumble.

"Let's go get something for breakfast," he offered. Toph nodded eagerly and they set off for the Jasmine Dragon.

Teo poked his head into the teashop. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki were all eating breakfast at their usual table in the back of the restaurant. He motioned for Toph to stay outside for a minute.

He wheeled up to the table. "Hey, guys," he said, trying to suppress the enthusiasm in his voice.

Suki looked up at him. "Hey, Teo. We haven't seen you around in a while; what've you been up to?"

Teo shrugged. "I dunno; been a lot on my mind lately, ya know?"

Aang smiled sadly at him. "Are you still…?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine. " He grinned. "But I found something while I was away that I think will be of interest to all of you."

The gaang blinked in confusion, exchanging skeptical looks at Teo's sudden excitement. A loud crash sounded from just outside the teashop door.

"Aaaand the winner iiiiis…!" Shouted a familiar voice. Suddenly, Toph charged through the door, running circles around the shop, and stopping at the table with her hands over her head triumphantly.

Teo looked over and saw that the entire gaang had broken out into wide smiles, a few even laughing.

"Toph, you're back from your parents'!" Katara grinned.

Toph suddenly scowled, glaring in her direction. "Suuugarqueeeen….!" She roared. Katara's eyes shot open in confusion and fright as Toph began chasing her around the table, trying to attack her.

"What; what'd I do?" She cried. Around the table again they went.

"Thanks to your little _idea_, you almost got me married off!" Toph shouted.

The group was silenced by Toph's outburst. Katara stopped in her tracks, and the next time around the table, Sokka reached out and grabbed Toph's long hair, which was flying out freely behind her, yanking her to a stop. Everyone stared at her as she grunted, struggling to get at Katara, who was standing behind Aang, still panting.

Aang gaped at her. "What did you just say?" He asked, in awe.

Toph yanked her hair back from Sokka's clutches, but remained in place, still glowering. "Yeah, you heard right," she said bitterly. "My father set me up with a freaking arranged marriage," she scowled.

Seeing everyone's disbelief, Teo decided to explain. "She was brainwashed into believing that she was this perfect little girl named Sadako, and when it stopped working, Lao Bei Fong decided to get her out of the house to cover up the conspiracy, so he had her engaged to this guy named Adesh, the son of this rich nobleman in Makapu," he rambled, getting slightly tired of explaining everything over and over again.

Sokka snickered.

"How is this funny?" Aang disciplined.

"Toph…little girl…ha!" He barked.

Aang shook his head and turned back to Teo. "So how exactly did you find this out?" He asked.

Teo sighed. Here goes again..

"Well," he explained, "I applied for a job at the Bei Fong estate and ended up being sort of like a bodyguard for Sadako."

"Bodyguard!" Sokka wheezed, slapping the table with his hand. But by this point, nobody was paying any attention to his interruptions.

Katara brought a hand to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. "Oh my gosh…" she muttered.

Toph glared, at the group in general this time, holding back from completely exploding. "You know, if I was gone for a whole year, don't you think that somebody might think to, oh, I don't know, make sure I was _conscious_?" She shouted.

"Er…"

"We just…"

"Sorry…"

Short, awkward apologies were uttered out across the room.

Toph put up her hands. "You know what? Forget it. Get me something to eat and we'll call it even.:

Laughing, Aang hailed Iroh and ordered two more dishes of fruit.

Everything settled down a bit while Toph scarfed down her breakfast. At one point she whipped her head over at Suki, who'd been staring at her throughout the meal. "What the heck are you gapin' at, Princess?" She asked.  
Suki pointed. "Your hair…," she said, bewildered, "it's so long."

Toph shot her a puzzled look. "Meaning..?"

"Nothing," she muttered, fingering her own short red bob. Toph rolled her eyes at her.

"I like it," stated Katara. " It's pretty. You should keep it like that."

"No way," Toph laughed, spitting out a lock that had worked its way into her mouth while she ate. She threw another stray clump back over her shoulder. "It gets in the way too much!"

Aang suddenly spoke up. "So you were really engaged?" He asked.

Toph snorted. "Apparently. And to some political idiot, too! I mean seriously, if the old geezer was gonna force me to get married off like that, the least he could have done was make it be with someone I'd actually _want _to be stuck with, like –" She went to make a sharp gesture to the right with her hands, but stopped herself, instead throwing the hand over her mouth as she turned pink.

Katara raised an eyebrow at her. "Someone like who?" She teased.

Toph sighed, then then straightened up, smirking.

"Someone like… _my hero_," she said.

She leaned over and kissed Teo on the cheek.

"Aw!"

Teo turned a bright crimson, causing the whole table to erupt with laughter.

"What, never been kissed before?" Sokka prodded jokingly.

After a few moments to fully process what happened, as well as gather up a little courage, he grinned and pulled Toph back down to kiss her lips. The laughter roared as this time, as she was the one who reddened for once.

They pulled apart after what seemed like ages, and Toph, dazed and still carmine, turned to the table.

"Shut up!" She threatened.

Teo laughed; how could he have ever thought that he would be able to forget someone like _her_?

**I'm so sad that it's finally over... But Teo finally got his happy ending :) It's not required to read the next chapter, it's pretty much just a very long author's note.**


	19. I Love You All!

Wow, I can't believe it's finally over… It feels like just yesterday was February, and Teo was just leaving home. I literally want to cry at the realization that it's over.

I've grown so much while writing this fic, both in my writing at in life. I wrote this as a lot of things were happening in my own life, and I look back and smile, as I remember what was going on at the times when each chapter was written.

You guys are the absolute best. I love you all! You've been so supportive and enthusiastic, and your reviews always bring a smile to my face. I know it's cheesy, but I want to thank you all. Now, I'm reviewing YOU. Not your stories, but YOU as a reviewer. (Yes, I am going from the very beginning and responding to EVERY reviewer)

**Pandaclaw**: What can I say? You're my best friend; heck, more than that, you're my sister! You've been so supportive, pushing me when I got a lazy streak, letting my run by ideas and chapters before I posted them, spoiling things; I couldn't ask for a better friend.

**BeautifullyMishappen**: You've stuck with this since the very beginning, putting up with my lack in updates and still coming back. You have no idea how much that means.

**Sailingseas**: You're awesome. You're crazy, hilarious, and know when to give it to me straight. Thanks for just being you.

**Lunatique:** Your reviews gave me a lot of encouragement in my hopes at becoming a writer, and I'm glad to know that I'm spreading the Teoph love one person at a time.

**Embers in the flames**: Thanks for encouraging my to move along and hurry it up with the next chapters, it might be one of the reasons that this is the first fic I've actually finished.

**A Star Named Hope**: You helped boost my self-esteem with this fic; I'd been feeling pretty down about its quality, and you reminded me that no matter what I thought of it, you guys liked what I was writing.

**Almightytaco123**: Your reviews were short and to the point, but made me just as happy nonetheless I sort of miss the times when we used to chat.

**Sabaang**: Thanks for the praise, and every time I hear someone tell me I should be an author, I smile. It's an ambition of mine.

**Metella**: Your thorough examinations of the plot made me chuckle, and I'd love to tell you that you actually pointed out a few things that happened by accident. Teo's joke in the memory in chapter five was never originally meant to be foreshadowing, but when you mentioned it, I realized how true it was.

**PunchAFishInTheFace**: Wow…what can I say to you? Your enthusiastic, fiery reviews never fail to brighten my day, or even make me shed a tear once and a while. Although your predictions were wrong, they were usually close, and it makes me happy to see how into the story you are. You're beyond amazing.

**Hl-ee-09**: I'm truly sorry that you never gave this story a chance before judging it like you did. If you're reading this, I'm offering you total forgiveness.

**Limegreenwordmachine**: Your enthusiasm makes me smile. You're another one who got into the story and let me know, which encouraged me to get moving to please you guys.

**Adlada**: Your reviews made me smile. Your assumptions were usually correct, and that makes me laugh, because it means your mind is just as crazy and messed up as my own.

**Woodshrew**: It's cool that we share the same character on our favorites list; hopefully I encouraged the likeness of sharing a favorite ship as well!

**bailybob**: I'm so glad you finally joined the site, and touched that you like my story. I'll be keeping an eye on your fics in the future.

**MaxandFang10**1: Your review was detailed and encouraging, and got me excited to pick up the pace for the upcoming chapters. Thank you for that.

**Grubbs Girl**: Haha, what do I say. You haven't reviewed specifically, but you encouraged me outside of fanfiction, offering assistance and help, and letting me run a few things by you. You also were the complete creator of the idea for Teo's dream, and I can't thank you enough; it enhanced the fic value by so much.

There's one more person I want to thank. When I said I was bored, they told me to write, and when I said I didn't want to, they told me that if I never pushed myself, I'd never get farther. Thank you so much for that; if it weren't for those words of wisdom, I might not have finished after hitting rough spots, and the rest of you wouldn't be reading the ending today.

I've already had an idea for a sort of follow up story to this, which will be a bit shorter, called Fun Without Risk. Would anybody be interested in reading it?

For those of you who devotedly followed this story, I thought it might interest you to see the playlist I always listened to while working on Forget Me Not, because certain aspects of the songs reminded me of different aspects of the fic itself.

**I'd Lie – Taylor Swift**

**So Close – Jennette Mccurdy**

**I'm With You – Avril Lavigne**

**Everytime I Hear Your Name – Cascada**

**Can't Stop The Rain – Cascada **

**Faded – Cascada **

**Play On – Carrie Underwood**

**What Hurts The Most – Cascada / Rascal Flatts **(I have both versions)

Once again, thank you all so much for your loyalty throughout the last year. I love you all.


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